Rising Star 5.0
Arsenal's coaching staff is very satisfied with the current atmosphere within the team. The competition between the players is healthy, relying on their performances on the training field. There has never been a player leaking information to the media or using public opinion to their advantage, nor has an agent complained to the media about the coaching staff mistreating their clients.
After a tough Champions League away game midweek, the team faces a formidable rival, Liverpool, at home over the weekend. Despite being at home, Liverpool, without European commitments, are well-rested and ready for the match. Considering the toll the Champions League took, Wenger had to rotate his squad partially.
Louis sat on the bench, with Giroud, Podolski, and Gervinho starting upfront. The midfield consisted of Wilshere, Coquelin, and Chamberlain. The backline also saw two key players rotated out. Many were pessimistic about facing Liverpool with this semi-rotated squad.
Indeed, the situation quickly turned dire. In the eleventh minute, Chamberlain fouled in the penalty area and received a second yellow card. The referee, Marriner, mistakenly sent off Gibbs instead of Chamberlain. Wenger laughed in disbelief on the sidelines. This infamous moment overshadowed the actual game, even though Louis came off the bench in the second half to help Arsenal equalize in stoppage time, ending the match 1-1.
After the game, the media focused more on Marriner's mistake than the result. Despite the draw, Arsenal fans were pleased with their team's performance. Playing with ten men for most of the match, they held Liverpool to a single goal and managed to equalize at the end. It felt like a victory.
Although the league match ended in a draw, Louis's popularity continued to soar. After ten league rounds, he had already scored nine goals, despite only joining Arsenal at the beginning of the fourth round. This meant he had scored nine goals in just six league games, an incredible feat.
Louis led the scorer list, surpassing Manchester United's Robin van Persie and Liverpool's Luis Suárez. Bookmakers now considered him a favorite for the Premier League Golden Boot. In the Champions League, he had scored five goals in four matches, topping the scorer list ahead of Dortmund's Lewandowski and football legends Messi and Ronaldo.
Louis's rise to fame was meteoric. From joining Arsenal in early September to mid-November, he went from being an unknown to a household name across Europe. His exceptional goal-scoring efficiency caught the attention of coaches and football pundits everywhere.
In just two and a half months, Louis became the most watched young talent in world football. His market value, according to the German transfer market, skyrocketed from 500,000 euros to 20 million euros. And many believed it would continue to rise.
With fame came rumors linking Louis to major clubs. Headlines from "AS" read: "Florentino Eyes the Next Superstar Louis." "Sport" suggested, "Louis Loves Camp Nou, Ready to Spend His Own Money to Join Barcelona." In the Premier League, reports surfaced about interest from Manchester City's Mansour consortium, Manchester United's Ferguson, and Chelsea's Abramovich, all eager to sign him.
The media frenzy put pressure on Arsenal. "Renew the contract?" Louis's agent, Tulio, called after training. "I just signed a contract with them more than two months ago," Louis responded, puzzled.
"Yes, but you've performed so well that Arsenal wants to give you a raise and extend your contract," Tulio explained.
"Extending the contract period and the 2+1 contract are actually very beneficial to me," Louis replied thoughtfully. Arsenal's initial contract, signed with a relatively unknown player, was modest, offering a weekly salary of £18,000. This was quite low compared to the team's highest earners like Podolski and Walcott, who made close to £100,000 a week.
Arsenal proposed to change the contract to 4+1 and increase the salary to £60,000 a week. Louis scratched his head, "What do you think, Tulio?"
"I think you should extend your contract by just one year and demand the team's maximum salary," Tulio advised confidently.
"Sure! I trust you," Louis said. He had no strong attachment to Arsenal and was open to leaving if a better opportunity arose.
"By the way, I recently negotiated an endorsement deal for you in Italy," Tulio added.
"Endorsement? For what?" Louis asked, intrigued.
"A casual clothing brand, an Italian company called Baleno," Tulio replied.
"Baleno? Really?" Louis was taken aback, remembering a commercial jingle. "Sign it! Baleno sounds perfect!"