Fox in the Penalty Area

Chapter 1888 Starting a new adventure

"Actually, I should have expected that you would leave Alvara one day..."

João Valente stood in a slightly empty room, and there was even an echo in the room when he spoke.

Except for the basic furniture, everything else in this room has been packed and ready to be shipped away.

This is obviously not the amount of luggage that a player who is going back to his country for World Cup training should carry.

Xia Xiaoyu stood next to him with a smile on his face and said calmly: "Alvara didn't buy me here just so that I could live here forever. But you can, Joao, you are a native of Lisbon."

"I don't know if I can. There are too many uncertainties in the football world, just like life." Valente curled his lips and shrugged.

The Portuguese Super League has ended, and Alvara failed to win the league championship in the end, but they still qualified for next season's Champions League - the runner-up of the Portuguese Super League is also eligible to participate in the Champions League.

But starting next season, Xia Xiaoyu will no longer represent Alvara in the Champions League.

Alvara Club has reached an agreement with Serie A team Roma City to sell Xia Xiaoyu to the other party for 37 million euros.

Starting from next season, Xia Xiaoyu will wear the Roma City jersey.

He finally jumped out of the trap after coming to Europe.

It's just that because the two clubs have not made an official announcement yet, not many people know the news.

But many people knew that Xia Xiaoyu was leaving the team.

He has played in Alvara for four seasons. Although the two parties renewed his contract last season, in fact, from the moment the contract was renewed, it meant that Xia Xiaoyu would start the process of leaving the team.

Because Alvara and Xia Xiaoyu renewed their contract purely so that they can sell it at an affordable price in the future, so as to avoid the embarrassing situation of letting Xia Xiaoyu leave the team freely when the contract expires. He does not really want Xia Xiaoyu to play in Alvara for a few more years.

In fact, after Alvara failed to advance to the top 16 after the Champions League group stage this season, the Alvara club began to promote the sale of Xia Xiaoyu.

Xia Xiaoyu's agent also began to express to the club the player's desire to leave.

If you stay in Alvara, you may be able to participate in the Champions League every year, but with Alvara's strength, being able to qualify in the group is already the limit.

It is almost impossible to go further - reaching the quarterfinals last season was already Alvara's best result in the Champions League in the past ten seasons. Most of the time they qualify from the group stage, which is cause for celebration. Because the group fails to qualify more often.

Not to mention that the overall level of the Portuguese Super League is indeed not as good as the five major leagues.

Continuing to play in the Portuguese Super League is not good for Xia Xiaoyu's development.

The price of 37 million euros is actually not high for Alvara, which has a "European black shop" - for comparison, the transfer fee of Brazilian winger Lesinho, who left Alvara last summer, was 7,800 euros. For a million euros, he went to London Bridge.

But this 37 million euros has also made Xia Xiaoyu the second most valuable Chinese player and the third most valuable Asian player - there is no suspense about the most valuable player in China and Asia, of course Hu Lai. The second highest ranking in Asia is the former "Light of Asia", South Korean star Park Soon-tae. When he moved from Sevilla Navigator to London Bridge in the summer of 2024, the transfer fee was 35 million pounds, which was approximately 39 million euros at the time.

In terms of worth, Xia Xiaoyu has even become a player on the same level as Park Soon-tae.

At that time, Park Soon-tae was in the best stage of his career, having just helped Sevilla Navigators win the Europa League championship. He was the well-deserved "Light of Asia."

In other words, without Hu Lai, Xia Xiaoyu can now be regarded as the next "Light of Asia".

But in fact, Xia Xiaoyu's worth is a little inflated. After all, compared with Park Soon-tae, Xia Xiaoyu doesn't have many honors to win - except for the Portuguese domestic championship, he does not have the honor of European championship.

The reason why it can still be sold at this price is partly because of Alvara's tradition, and partly because the city of Rome really likes Xia Xiaoyu.

After tracking and observing Xia Xiaoyu's performance for two seasons, they finally decided to take action this summer and finalize the matter before the World Cup. They were afraid that after the World Cup, Xia Xiaoyu's outstanding performance would increase his worth...

At that time, they were still facing some competitors, so they quoted a price of 37 million euros.

Simon Secco, the head coach from Rome, once coached Alvara, and that was six years ago.

So he knows very well what it is to be able to play the core midfielder in this team.

The reason why Xia Xiaoyu chose to go to Rome to play in Serie A instead of going to the Premier League or La Liga was because Seco flew to Lisbon in person to interview him.

When the head coach of a team appreciates himself so much, it is not difficult to make a choice.

Roma City is considered a strong team in Serie A, but it does not consistently participate in the Champions League every season.

If you go to Rome, you may also face the embarrassing situation of not being able to play in the Champions League.

But Xia Xiaoyu finally decided to go to Rome and start a new adventure.

But this time compared to four years ago, he was much more confident.

This confidence is not only reflected in his six goals and 21 assists in three seasons with the Alvara first team, but also in things that the data cannot show. Based on Xia Xiaoyu's position and responsibilities, he actually does not need to be responsible for direct assists. He is more responsible for sorting out the midfield and is Alvara's dispatching and command center. Such a player does not often show his face and often hides behind the scenes. Only professionals know how good he is. In front of fans and the media, he appears to have "no outstanding achievements."

Now he is going to Serie A to continue to hone himself.

"I will miss the time we used to play games here..." Valente said with emotion as he looked around the living room, which had become much empty. "I also wish you good luck, Xiaoyu. I hope you all go well in Italy, and I also hope we can meet again in the Champions League."

After speaking, he opened his arms and gave Xia Xiaoyu a hug.

As a good friend from the reserve team to the first team, he was really reluctant to let Xia Xiaoyu go.

But he also knew that leaving Alvara was the best choice for Xia Xiaoyu.

Because he is not like himself. He also shoulders the expectations of 1.4 billion Chinese people. How is it possible to stay in a small place like Portugal?

※※※

Wang Guangwei, who was packing his luggage, received a call from his agent Shan Daosheng.

"Guangwei, why didn't you reply to the WeChat message I sent you?"

"Ah? I mean, why was my phone buzzing all the time just now? It turned out to be Uncle Shan who sent it?"

"Hey, kid...you saw it, why didn't you reply to my message?"

"I didn't see it, I heard it. The phone was in the living room and I was collecting things in the bedroom. I couldn't care less...what's wrong?"

"Photos of the house. I found a new house for you in Naples. You can take a look at it. Can you please give me a message?"

"Oh, sorry Uncle Shan, sorry, sorry. I'll take a look right away..."

As he spoke, Wang Guangwei took off his cell phone, cut out of the call, clicked on WeChat, and looked at the dozen or so pictures Shan Daosheng sent him.

It was a very beautiful little villa, and from some of the photos, it seemed that the blue Mediterranean Sea could be seen in the distance.

When Wang Guangwei was looking at the photos, Shan Daosheng also introduced: "Actually, strictly speaking, this house is not in Naples, but a little outside... But it is right on the expressway, and it is also very convenient to go to Vesuvius' training base. .The key is that it is safe here, and you also know the security in Naples..."

"Okay, that's fine. I have no objection. Uncle Shan, you have a good sense!"

"Why does it sound so perfunctory..."

"Ha! No, no, Uncle Shan, you are thinking too much. It looks like you are on the mountain?"

"Halfway up the mountain, you can get on the highway right after you get down the mountain. The transportation is very convenient. It's also very convenient to go shopping in the supermarket. This is a wealthy area. I guess you will meet a lot of Vesuvius teammates and it will be easier for you to integrate into the team..." Shan Daosheng gave another introduction.

"Okay, that's it." Wang Guangwei said simply.

"Okay, I'll get the lease, don't worry about the rest, just go back to China for training."

"Okay, thank you Uncle Shan!"

"Hey, why are we being so polite? It's what it should be, it's what it should be."

After hanging up the phone, Wang Guangwei did not continue to pack his luggage, but walked to the window and looked at the street scene in Genoa outside.

He did not live in a single-family house in Genoa, but rented a house in an apartment with an elevator.

The location is actually very good and very lively.

There is nothing wrong with it except that the house is smaller.

But he was just a bachelor, so it didn't matter if his house was small.

Now he is going to live in a villa in Naples. Does the house become bigger, does it mean that his status also becomes higher?

It's just... I'm a single man, what's the use of having such a big house?

No matter how many rooms there are, I will only sleep on one bed...

※※※

Chen Xingyi received a call from his former head coach Jopp Munster at the airport.

In the Eredivisie that just ended, the contract between Jopp Munster and Amsterdam Athletic Club expired, and both parties decided not to renew the contract.

So Munster no longer served as the team's head coach, and he naturally became Chen Xingyi's "former head coach."

"Xing, where are you?" Munster asked on the phone.

"Me? I'm at the airport, and I'm getting ready to go back to China."

"Aren't you on the plane yet?"

"No, it will take some time..."

"That's great." Munster laughed on the other end of the phone, and then asked: "You have been in the Netherlands for four years, do you want to change places?"

Chen Xingyi was stunned for a moment, and then said honestly: "Of course, I think so, sir."

Anyway, Munster is no longer the head coach of Sporting Amsterdam, so he is not afraid of being misunderstood.

"Think? That's great. I've said it before, you shouldn't stay in the Netherlands all the time." Munster smiled.

"Hehe..." Chen Xingyi didn't know how to answer his former head coach and could only giggle.

"It's like this. I have decided to sign with Manchester Athletic and become their new coach. And you, Xing, are you interested in going to Manchester with me?"

Chen Xingyi was speechless while holding the phone.

His father Chen Hantang, who was next to him, gave him a strange look.

Then I heard my son nod vigorously and say, "Of course! I do! I'm interested, sir!"

※※※

PS, the Japanese team lost to Costa Rica, which is really speechless. Belgium lost to Morocco, even more speechless!

This is football...

Let’s talk about today’s four games.

Cameroon and Serbia, I think Serbia will beat Cameroon by two goals.

Between South Korea and Ghana, I am optimistic that South Korea will win by one goal.

Brazil and Switzerland, there is no suspense, Brazil wins by two goals.

Portugal and Uruguay, the two teams had played against each other in the last World Cup, and Uruguay had the last laugh at that time. This time I am still optimistic about Uruguay defeating Portugal. After all, judging from the last game, Portugal's defense has too many hidden dangers...

I think Uruguay could beat Portugal with one goal.

Just sauce!