20 Million Euros Might Not Be Enough for Acquisition!
After scoring, before Lin Quan could even get up, De Bruyne and other Werder Bremen players went crazy, piling on him in celebration.
Meanwhile, the live chat was buzzing as well.
"How did he do that?"
"Can I watch this match for free?"
"Awesome, he single-handedly took on the entire defense!"
"Those who called Lin a mascot before, where are you now?"
"Love seeing direct face slaps like this!"
"I think this is a tribute to Messi. Messi had a goal similar to this one!"
"That's true, but Messi's goal was a central breakthrough, while Lin Quan's was from the wing.
This moment was etched into the minds of all the viewers of this game.
Not just those watching from the Douyu livestream, even the Werder Bremen fans in the stadium were impressed by Lin Quan's performance.
Many fans applauded Lin Quan and exchanged information about him.
The summer transfer window had just opened, and it was set to close at the end of August.
The club's recruitment process was still in the early stages, and there were no public appearances for Lin Quan and the other transferred or loaned players at the Weser Stadium. There were no welcome ceremonies for them either.
This led many fans to be unaware of who Lin Quan was. They only learned that he was loaned from Barcelona's youth team after inquiring about him.
"He's from La Masia's training camp, no wonder he's so talented!"
Upon hearing that Lin Quan came from Barcelona's youth training, Werder Bremen's fans suddenly understood.
"Hey, guys, is there a chance our club can buy this sharp-breaking young man? He's so young, Barcelona shouldn't ask for a high price, right?"
Such a good player, if only he were signed permanently rather than on loan, it would be even better!
"I'm afraid not. Considering his excellent performance, his value wouldn't be less than 20 million euros, would it?
We simply don't have that much money to buy such an expensive player!"
Werder Bremen is not a top club; it's just an average mid-level team.
Their highest transfer record dates back to the summer of 2009 when they brought in the opposition's winger Marko Marin for a high fee of 8.5 million euros.
Typically, their annual transfer budget is only about 15 million euros.
To acquire Lin Quan, they'd need at least 20 million euros, even if they didn't buy any other players, they still couldn't afford him.
Moreover, Barcelona isn't foolish. A player who performs so well at such a young age, Barcelona might not sell him!
So, Werder Bremen's fans could only think about it in their hearts with no way to act on it.
...
While the opposition celebrated their home goal, the Cottbus players seemed a bit disheartened.
Their goalkeeper looked at their defenders, wearing an angry expression.
He was frustrated that their backline could make such a mistake.
How could they let the opponents toy with our entire defense and dribble past them one after another?!
The defenders wore despondent expressions, standing with arms akimbo, gazing perplexed at Lin Quan buried under the pile of players.
They couldn't understand why so many players couldn't contain this small player.
Though his dribbles looked plain, without any flashy moves such as bicycle kicks, stepovers, or feints, he left them behind.
The simpler it looked, the more exceptional it was.
The football seemed to come to life at his feet, as effortlessly as if it were just a part of him.
To reach this level, one needs an extraordinary feel for the ball.
And this extraordinary ball sense is often innate, not trained.
This is talent, something enviable!
...
As the game continued, Cottbus, somewhat dazed by Lin Quan's goal, became a bit hesitant to attack.
On the other hand, the young players of Werder Bremen, after the score was revised, completely shed their mental burdens and started to play better.
Especially Lin Quan and De Bruyne.
Their close coordination made Cottbus ineffective in the attacks from the left.
Moreover, since the opponents feared Lin Quan, they had heavily fortified the left flank, leaving the right side vulnerable.
Observing this, Lin Quan didn't indulge in his personal breakthroughs.
In the 65th minute, Werder Bremen won the ball in their own half.
After the team captain Fritz won the ball, he quickly passed it to De Bruyne.
De Bruyne then passed it to Lin Quan.
After receiving the ball, Lin Quan stormed into the opponent's half with the ball.
The Cottbus players immediately double-teamed him upon receiving the ball.
At the same time, the opposition's defensive midfielder and full-back also held their positions, not allowing him space to break through.
Lin Quan observed the opponent's defensive position as he received the ball.
So, after evading the first defender without dribbling much, Lin Quan attracted opponents towards him and then made a pass.
De Bruyne is a promising midfielder, with high football intelligence, and could see the problem in the opponent's defense.
After passing the ball to Lin Quan, he made a bold move into the opponent's penalty area.
Witnessing his run, Lin Quan mentally commended him.
After sidestepping a defender's tackle, Lin Quan carefully passed the ball to De Bruyne in a low delivery, just perfect in strength.
De Bruyne didn't need much adjustment after receiving the ball; he could shoot directly.
So, after observing the goalkeeper's position, De Bruyne decisively took a shot.
Lin Quan had seen De Bruyne's shooting skills and this position was similar to De Bruyne's usual free-kick practice spot.
As the ball flew, Lin Quan knew it was a good shot.
Sure enough, the ball soared beautifully, evading the goalkeeper's reach, and went into the net from the goal's blind spot.
De Bruyne scored his first goal for Werder Bremen, and Lin Quan achieved his first assist for the team!