Chapter 1264: Chapter 1264
Gao Shen spent a few days in Paris, primarily to ensure smooth communication before the arrival of the team and to gain a clearer understanding of the real situation at Paris Saint-Germain, in preparation for the work ahead.
Based on the information he gathered and the discussions with various departments, the problems at PSG were more serious than he had initially expected. But they weren't enough to make Gao Shen back down.
His big data project had only just begun. Building models and systems with a team of experts was merely the first step.
The development of artificial intelligence doesn't rely solely on technical breakthroughs. It also requires feeding massive amounts of data into the system.
It's like Google's AlphaGo, which became stronger through constant challenges, data accumulation, and iterative improvement. If you isolate yourself, you'll never reach that level.
In professional football, the value of data is self-evident, especially firsthand data collected from training sessions of top-tier teams. This kind of detailed data isn't something companies like Opta can gather on their own.
As advanced systems collect more and more data, updating and refining their models and algorithms, what chance do other clubs have to catch up?
Once a team builds a technological and data-driven advantage, it will be like watching your opponent pull away in a race—and there's nothing you can do about it.
Given the intense competition in professional football, it's easy to imagine that eventually, this will become a winner-takes-all environment.
After all, no club wants to fall behind before a match even begins.
At present, only Leeds United, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain are participating in the project. But Gao Shen would continue to expand and enhance it.
He firmly believed that as long as he stuck to this path, he would reap enormous rewards in the future.
In the end, the top clubs would come to him, asking for collaboration.
After returning to England from Paris, Gao Shen immediately headed to Cheshire.
Following Leeds United's 4-3 away win over Ajax in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, they now had the upper hand in the tie.
For the second leg at the Amazon Stadium, Pochettino was facing Erik ten Hag's Ajax once again.
Leeds United would stick to their traditional 4-3-3 formation.
Unlike the first leg, Pochettino adopted a more pragmatic approach at home.
Scoring four away goals had given Leeds United a significant advantage. Leading by one goal on aggregate, Ajax needed to win by two goals in the return leg.
So right from kickoff, the Dutch side launched a desperate assault.
Leeds United's midfield looked different from the first leg. Rodri dropped deeper, with Calvin Phillips and Bernardo Silva ahead of him, clearly signaling a focus on defense.
From his seat in the presidential box, Gao Shen saw Pochettino's lineup and immediately understood what to expect.
There should be no problems with this match.
If Pochettino had gone all out again, like in the first leg, things might have turned out very badly. But now, with this more targeted strategy, Ajax had been effectively neutralized.
"Before each match, our big data center provides the head coach with detailed analysis reports to help him prepare. Generally speaking, there shouldn't be any big issues," Lucas said with a smile.
That's usually the case, though not always.
Especially when dealing with a coach as unpredictable as Guardiola, things can get complicated.
Of course, Leeds United were preparing for Ajax, and Ajax were also preparing for Leeds United.
It's just that the current situation clearly favored the English side.
In the 17th minute, Calvin Phillips intercepted the ball in midfield and threaded a through pass to Vardy, who laid it off behind Ajax's defensive line.
Breaking the offside trap, Mbappé found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and calmly slotted the ball into the net from inside the box to give Leeds United the lead.
The entire Amazon Stadium erupted!
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
Gao Shen, Lucas, and the others stood up and applauded.
The counterattack was quick and straightforward, targeting the space behind Mazraoui.
With both full-backs pushed up, Ajax's backline was left exposed on the flanks.
Mbappé was like a flying arrow, piercing right through Ajax's defense. Fınd the newest release on novel·fire·net
"This kid has improved so much this season, and so quickly!" Lucas couldn't help but exclaim.
But whenever he thought about Mbappé potentially leaving Leeds United this summer, he felt a pang of regret.
"This is a player we developed ourselves, and he's the most likely candidate to win the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year."
Over the years, Leeds United had produced several world-class players—Salah, Mané, Harry Kane—who had become elite attackers.
But right now, 20-year-old Mbappé was the closest to claiming the Ballon d'Or or FIFA World Player of the Year title. He was also the closest to breaking into the Ronaldo and Messi tier.
In the most recent FIFA and Ballon d'Or rankings, Mbappé placed fourth.
Given Leeds United's phenomenal form this season, if Mbappé maintained this trajectory, he had a real shot at finishing in the top three in 2019.
If Leeds United were to win the Champions League this year, Mbappé might very well earn football's highest individual honor.
That would be a monumental achievement for any club.
"It's not the right time yet," Gao Shen said, clearly tempted, but ultimately suppressing his emotions.
Lucas and Borrell thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
It really wasn't the right time.
Leeds United couldn't afford to keep a true global superstar yet, and even if they could, they didn't have the structure to support him.
"But just wait," Gao Shen said confidently. "As long as the team maintains this momentum, in three years at most, a generation of players born in the 2000s—Haaland, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Sancho, Foden—will elevate this club to the top."
"That's when we'll truly be one of Europe's elite."
Leeds United was still a step away from being a genuine powerhouse.
But that step was a decisive one.
Over the years, many strong teams had failed to make that leap.
Just look at Atlético Madrid in La Liga, or Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
Gao Shen was determined to protect Leeds United and help the team break through.
Only then would all the time and effort poured into this club over the years be truly worth it.
The first half ended with Mbappé's counterattack goal, giving Leeds United a 1-0 lead over Ajax.
The aggregate score was now 5-3. Ajax needed to score at least three goals to advance.
That was close to impossible.
So, the home fans were in good spirits, but Gao Shen wasn't letting his guard down.
Three goals was still dangerous, especially with another 45 minutes to play.
At halftime, Borrell brought over a document and told Gao Shen it had been sitting around for a few days.
Normally, Leeds United's transfers were overseen by Borrell, and only the major signings required higher approval.
This particular transfer involved a fee of 10 million euros.
"You want to sign these two players from Argentina?" Gao Shen was surprised.
Both were from River Plate. One of them was Julian Álvarez, a 19-year-old who met FIFA's age requirement for international transfers.
The problem was, Álvarez wasn't cheap—his price tag was a full 10 million euros.
While this wasn't a huge issue for Leeds United at the moment, Gao Shen still needed to ask, as per protocol.
"Our primary target is Julian Álvarez. He's an Argentina youth international. He actually had a trial with Real Madrid back in 2011 and did well, but FIFA regulations don't allow international transfers under the age of 18, so he returned to Argentina."
"He joined River Plate at 15 and started playing for the first team this season. As a forward, he's been impressive. In 16 games, he's played 730 minutes, scored 3 goals, and provided 4 assists. That's excellent for a 19-year-old."
"When did you start following him?" Gao Shen asked, intrigued.
"The scouting department flagged him earlier, and I had them conduct a deeper evaluation. Then River Plate played in the Club World Cup, right? I went to see it live. He didn't play in the semi-final, but he started the third-place match and got a full 90 minutes with one assist. I think he's very promising."
If Borrell thought so highly of him, Gao Shen was certainly going to take it seriously.
He immediately looked up Álvarez's stats and found that, as a striker, he stood only 1.7 meters tall.
That fit the profile of many Argentine forwards—small, agile, and quick.
Unlike Brazil, Argentine players undergo more European-style training from a young age, which helps them adapt better to European football.
Brazilian youth development has increasingly struggled in recent years, caught between local methods and European influences. Some players end up too localized and fail to transition well to Europe.
Of course, outliers like Neymar are exceptions.
But what truly caught Gao Shen's attention was Borrell's evaluation:
"He always manages to anticipate where the greatest danger will be and gets into position before anyone else. The problem is, his teammates often don't even notice what he's doing in time."
"He has the potential to become a top-class striker!"
That was a huge compliment.
Álvarez was quick, had excellent technique, and was constantly active in matches.
Gao Shen didn't see any issue with it. Talented young players these days—especially from Argentine giants like River Plate—are rarely cheap.
Given his performance this season, it was normal for Álvarez's value to rise from 1 million euros to 10 million.
Especially with Borrell having scouted him in person.
Gao Shen had full confidence in the club's big data system, the scouting team, and Borrell's judgment.
Just like that Croatian centre-back, Gvardiol. Gao Shen had never even heard of him before he joined Leeds United. But after watching him play, he was blown away.
He was only 17, already playing with the reserve team and training regularly with the first team.