Become A Football Legend

Micah Richards leaned forward.

"They’ve strengthened everywhere."

Carragher continued.

"Manchester City, on the other hand, are still rebuilding. They’ve refreshed the squad, but this doesn’t quite feel like the finished article yet. Pep’s clearly building another cycle."

Micah nodded.

"And there’s still one signing I can’t quite get my head around."

He smiled.

"Lukas Brandt."

"Nearly £77 million for a 16-year-old."

David Jones raised an eyebrow.

"And reportedly earning around £240,000 a week."

Micah laughed.

"That’s unbelievable money."

Carragher folded his arms.

"Look, I’ve watched the kid. I think he’s technically outstanding. He’s fearless, he dribbles well, he sees passes other players don’t."

He paused before adding,

"But the Premier League is different."

"You don’t get the same space."

"You don’t get the same time."

"You don’t get defenders backing off you."

"I just think City have signed him a year, maybe even 2 years, too early."

Micah nodded.

"I agree. Long term? He could become world class."

"This season?"

"I’m not convinced he’ll make that much of an impact."

Lexi finally looked up from her phone.

"Oh."

"They’re talking about Lukas."

Roger smiled.

"They’ve been talking about him for weeks."

Lexi looked toward her parents.

"Oh, by the way... did I tell you I actually met his girlfriend?"

Jane turned immediately.

"You met his girlfriend? When?"

"Where?"

Lexi unlocked her phone.

"A few weeks ago in the city centre."

"She had a bit of an emergency and I helped her out. We got talking afterwards and exchanged Instagram."

She laughed softly.

"I only found out later she was Lukas’s girlfriend."

"She’s actually really nice."

Jane held out her hand.

"Let me see."

Lexi passed her the phone.

Jane slowly scrolled through Joanna’s profile.

There were pictures from Germany.

Pictures from New York.

A few photographs from Mallorca.

Few with Lukas. Several with João and Reuben and some with her other friends.

She recognised Joanna immediately.

"That’s her..."

Roger glanced over.

"Who?"

"The girl from Old Trafford."

Jane remembered seeing her in the away end during Manchester City’s Europa League visit the previous season. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time.

Now everything made sense.

She continued scrolling for another few seconds before handing the phone back.

"She seems lovely."

"She is," Lexi replied. "Really down to earth."

Roger looked back toward the television as another discussion about Liverpool began.

"I can’t wait for the season to start."

"Me neither," Lexi said. "I actually tried getting season tickets."

Jane looked over.

"For City?"

Lexi nodded.

"But I couldn’t get them. Starting this season, I don’t care, I’m officially supporting Lukas."

She smiled sheepishly.

"I’ll still support United whenever City play them. But every other week... I’m rooting for him."

Jane couldn’t help smiling.

"I can get tickets."

Lexi blinked.

"What?"

"I said I can get tickets."

Jane shrugged casually.

"We can go to City’s home matches together."

Lexi nearly dropped her phone.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Oh my God!"

She threw her arms around her mother.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Roger watched the two of them with an amused smile.

He had known his wife long enough to recognise that expression.

She wasn’t just offering because of football.

Jane smiled as she hugged her daughter.

"You’re welcome."

A few moments later, she quietly stood up with her phone in her hand.

"I’m heading upstairs."

Neither Roger nor Lexi thought much of it.

Jane walked into the bedroom, closed the door behind her and sat on the edge of the bed.

For a few seconds, she simply stared at her phone before unlocking it.

Her messages opened automatically to an old conversation.

Lukas.

The final exchange was from several weeks earlier.

Jane: Thank you so much.

Lukas: It’s alright.

It was a the message Jane had sent Lukas after Lukas gave her his phone number, but they hadn’t spoken since then, she had decided to give her son some space before trying to reach out anyway.

After all, he’s signed a 5-year deal at Manchester City, there was no need to try and rush a connection and risk pushing him even farther away.

Jane looked at the conversation for a long moment before locking her phone again.

Without saying a word, she placed it gently on the bedside table and sat there quietly, listening to the faint sound of Monday Night Football drifting up from downstairs.

* * *

15 August 2025

SV Darmstadt 98 Training Centre

The afternoon sun filtered through the large windows of the administrative building overlooking the training pitches. From inside, the distant sound of boots striking footballs and coaches blowing whistles drifted through the open window.

Around the conference table sat Michael Weilguny, the club’s managing director, Paul Fernie, the sporting director, and first-team head coach Florian Kohfeldt. A financial report lay open in the middle of the table, but the conversation had clearly started long before anyone walked into the room.

"...the money came in this morning," Paul Fernie said, glancing down at the paperwork. "€1.75 million from Eintracht Frankfurt."

Michael Weilguny let out a quiet breath through his nose before leaning back in his chair.

"They got him for free... sold him 6 months later for €90 million... and we receive €1.75 million. The kid spent almost 10 years in our academy."

Fernie gave a small shrug.

"Unfortunately, that’s how FIFA’s training compensation and solidarity mechanisms work. Honestly, Frankfurt already went beyond what they were required to pay. Had they stuck strictly to FIFA’s percentage, we’d have received somewhere around €890,000. They more than doubled what they owed us."

Michael stared at him for a moment.

"Am I supposed to be thankful?"

Silence settled over the room.

"How the hell did we lose a gem like that? Less than a year after we let him go, he’s one of the biggest talents in world football and heading to the Premier League for €90 million."

Nobody answered.

Eventually, Michael turned toward Florian Kohfeldt.

"I’m going to need you this season."

The head coach nodded.

"I know."

Michael folded his hands together.

"Is there anyone else coming through the academy that you genuinely believe is ready?"

Kohfeldt barely hesitated.

"João Gimenez."

Fernie nodded immediately.

"I thought you’d say him."

"He got a few minutes with the first team last season when we had the centre-back injuries," Kohfeldt continued. "He’s composed, physically ready, and his ceiling is very high. He’s also close friends with Lukas, so mentally he’s handled pressure before through watching someone make that jump."

Fernie leaned forward.

"I agree completely. If João plays regularly this season, I honestly think we’re looking at a €20 to €40 million defender in a few years. Left-footed centre-backs with his profile don’t come around very often."

Michael looked between the 2 men before giving a decisive nod.

"Then make sure he plays."

Neither of them spoke.

Michael continued.

"We need assets. We need players who can become the next big sale. If you believe João is that player, then give him every opportunity to develop."

Kohfeldt stood, buttoning his jacket.

"I’ll make sure he’s ready."

With that, he left the office, already thinking about the weekend’s squad selection while Fernie and Michael remained seated, the report still lying open on the table.

For all the disappointment surrounding the loss of Lukas Brandt, Darmstadt could not afford to spend another season dwelling on the one that got away.

They had to find the next one.

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