My Ultimate Gacha System

Chapter 379 - 53: The chelsea meeting II

The timeline was similar to United’s immediate opportunity approach and significantly faster than Liverpool’s patient year-two development model, and the system panel flickered briefly with updated analysis.

「TIMELINE COMPARISON」

「Liverpool: Year 2 target for regular starts」

「United: Year 1 target 20+ starts」

「Chelsea: Year 1 target 20-25 starts across competitions」

「Assessment: Chelsea and United tied for fastest integration」

Stewart added a point that neither Liverpool nor United had addressed directly in their meetings.

"Location matters for quality of life," he said, and his tone suggested this wasn’t an afterthought but a deliberate part of Chelsea’s pitch. "London is one hour twenty minutes flight from Milan. Manchester and Liverpool are two hours thirty minutes minimum with connections. For visiting family, for maintaining relationships, for your personal life—London makes practical sense."

First time anyone had mentioned Sophia or personal relationships directly in a meeting, and the specificity meant Chelsea had done thorough background research beyond just watching match footage and reading scouting reports.

The blue text appeared again:

「NEW FACTOR INTRODUCED」

「London-Milan flight time: 1h20m」

「Manchester/Liverpool-Milan flight time: 2h30m+」

「Practical consideration: Easier relationship maintenance」

「Strategic observation: Chelsea emphasizing lifestyle fit alongside football fit」

Demien asked his first question and his voice stayed level. "Where do you see me fitting tactically in your system?"

Pochettino stood and moved to the tactical board mounted on the wall, and he drew formations with a dry-erase marker while explaining.

"As an eight, box-to-box midfielder. Against teams that sit deep and defend in a low block, you push higher and provide goal threat from late runs into the penalty area. Against teams that press aggressively, you drop deeper and help with ball progression through the thirds. Tactical flexibility is key to how I want my midfielders operating."

He drew arrows showing movement patterns.

"You’d rotate with Enzo positionally depending on opponent. Sometimes he’s the six and you’re the eight. Sometimes you’re both eights with a pure defensive midfielder behind. Sometimes one of you pushes higher as a ten while the other holds. The fluidity comes from reading the game and adjusting, which your performances at Atalanta show you can do."

Second question. "What’s realistic playing time in year one?"

Stewart answered before Pochettino could.

"Conference League you’re guaranteed heavy involvement because we need to rotate for that competition and we want young players getting European experience. Premier League, target is twenty to twenty-five starts across all competitions by season end. We’re not promising you start every match in August because you’ll need time to adapt to the league’s intensity, but if you train well and perform when given chances, you’ll play significant minutes."

The answer was more honest than United’s twenty-plus starts promise had been because Stewart acknowledged the adaptation period explicitly rather than implying immediate starting status, and the realism suggested Chelsea’s internal planning was more developed than their pitch had initially indicated.

Third question. "Why me specifically?"

Pochettino’s expression changed and something that might have been a smile appeared briefly before he spoke.

"You score goals from midfield positions," he said, and his answer was immediate rather than requiring thought. "I’ve watched all your Atalanta matches from the second half of the season. Against Roma you scored from the edge of the box with a dipping shot that the goalkeeper couldn’t reach even though he read it early. Against Fiorentina you scored with a curling effort from distance that bent around the defensive wall. Against North Macedonia with England, two goals from midfield runs where you arrived in the box at exactly the right time to finish chances that other midfielders wouldn’t have been positioned to take."

The specificity was notable because Pochettino referenced exact matches and exact goals rather than generic praise, and the detail level suggested genuine tactical analysis rather than surface-level scouting.

「TRAIT ACTIVATED」

「AGENT NEGOTIATION PERK — RESPONSE ASSESSMENT」

「Pochettino’s Answer: Detailed and match-specific」

「Referenced: Roma match (Coppa Italia), Fiorentina match (Serie A), North Macedonia (England debut)」

「Identified gap: Goalscoring from midfield (Chelsea haven’t had since Lampard)」

「Comparison: Lampard = Chelsea legend, high bar, strategic framing」

「Assessment: Genuine tactical need backed by thorough scouting work」

Pochettino continued without waiting for response.

"Our midfield creates chances for forwards but doesn’t score themselves. Enzo’s brilliant at progression and passing but he’s not a natural goalscorer. Caicedo’s a destroyer who wins the ball and recycles possession. What we’re missing is the midfielder who arrives in the box and finishes chances, and that’s what you bring. That’s why we want you."

The answer satisfied the question completely because it identified a specific tactical gap in Chelsea’s squad and explained how Demien’s profile filled that gap, and the logic was sound enough that arguing against it would require denying his own strengths.

Pochettino sat again and his closing pitch began with a different tone than the tactical discussion had carried.

"You’re nineteen years old choosing your next step. Liverpool says wait two years and we’ll develop you into a star under Klopp’s proven system. Manchester United says come now and help us rebuild immediately under Ten Hag. We’re saying something different—come grow with players your own age and build something special together."

He pulled the iPad back and showed the squad list again with ages highlighted.

"Enzo’s twenty-two. You’re nineteen. Mudryk’s twenty-two. Caicedo’s twenty-one. Jackson’s twenty-two. That’s five young attackers and midfielders all hitting your peak together over the next four to five years. That’s how dynasties are built, not by joining established systems where you’re fitting into someone else’s structure."

The pause was deliberate and gave weight to what came next.

"I won’t lie to you—we’re not winning the Premier League next season. Probably not the season after either. But in three years when you’re twenty-two and Enzo’s twenty-five and Mudryk’s twenty-five? When you’ve all been growing together and building chemistry and learning how to win? That team will be special, and you’ll have been part of building it from the foundation instead of joining something already made."

Different emotional appeal entirely from Klopp’s Anfield history or Ten Hag’s immediate opportunity pitch, and the long-term vision framing required thinking beyond the next twelve months to imagine what success looked like in year three or year four rather than year one.

Winstanley added the timeline reminder that all three clubs had given.

"Same deadline as the others. We need your answer by mid-July. We have other midfield targets if this doesn’t work, and I’m not saying that to pressure you but because transparency matters and you should know we’re not waiting indefinitely."

Marco nodded once. "He’ll have an answer by then."

Pochettino stood and the other two followed his lead, and handshakes went around the table while the energy stayed professional but warmer than it had been at the meeting’s start.

"My phone number’s available if questions come up," Pochettino said to Demien directly. "Don’t hesitate to call if something needs clarification. This is a big decision and I want you to have all the information you need to make it properly."

The offer felt genuine rather than performative because Pochettino’s entire pitch had emphasized honesty over salesmanship, and giving direct access reinforced that approach.

They left at three thirty and the meeting had lasted ninety minutes.