Before the next league match arrived—
Mendes's call came through quickly.
"Nike and Adidas have their eyes on you! They've both sent over contract offers. Want to take a look?"
Kai noticed something odd in his tone.
"Is something wrong with them?"
On the other end, Mendes sounded visibly annoyed.
"These two sports giants are completely undervaluing you!"
"They think having Ronaldo and Messi as their poster boys gives them the right to lowball you. The contracts are nowhere near what you're worth!"
"Three years, 18 million—what are they offering, pocket change?!"
Mendes was furious.
"You know me. I may be Ronaldo's agent too, but I treat all my players with the same care. This kind of offer is downright disrespectful to you."
"And worse, I don't know what it is, but there's this strange bias toward Asian players."
Kai frowned and shook his head.
"Forget it. These two companies have too many controversies—it'll hurt my reputation."
Mendes agreed, nodding.
"Exactly. Signing with a brand that discriminates against Asians would stir public backlash. We have to think about potential fallout."
"Anyway, there's no shortage of offers. But one proposal from a Chinese sports company caught my attention."
"Ever heard of Anta Sports?"
Kai nodded.
"Top-tier domestic brand. A household name in China."
Mendes looked visibly excited.
"Their CEO is a massive fan of yours. He's showing extraordinary sincerity—offering a three-year, 100 million contract! I've got to admit, Chinese companies really do have deep pockets."
"Every year, you'd earn over 20 million pounds in base endorsement fees. Plus, for every individual or team accolade you win, you'll get a 2 million euro bonus on top."
"They'll name you as their global ambassador. Once you launch your personal brand, they'll even help design and release a line of custom, limited-edition signature boots. All with your logo!"
Kai was stunned.
A 100 million contract over three years?!
Back in 2011, this kind of deal would've shaken the entire football world.
That same afternoon—
Under the flash of countless media cameras,
Anta Sport's CEO personally arrived in London.
He couldn't wait to shake Kai's hand.
After some quick negotiations—
Kai laid down two conditions:
Even though Anta Sports is a Chinese brand, the contract must not require any association with the national football team.
Once he launches his own personal brand, Anta Sports must not interfere with its independent growth or development.
The talks wrapped up smoothly and pleasantly.
"I never imagined this day would come. It's the greatest honor of my career to work with you!"
The Anta Sports president rose, grasping Kai's hand warmly.
"Though it's a shame we won't get to see you play in China's domestic league, I know you'll go on to leave a legendary mark on the global stage!"
"This deal will go down in history."
The earthshaking signing ceremony was completed swiftly.
Media from across the globe exploded with the news—
Arsenal's midfield prodigy had just rejected both Nike and Adidas…
Only to sign a 100 million deal with the full backing of the Chinese market!
What's more, he was now planning to launch his own personal brand—the first of its kind in modern football.
In this era, no footballer had ever successfully built their own brand from scratch.
Kai's emergence felt like a thunderclap across football's new era.
"Three-Year, 100 Million Megadeal! Unprecedented in History!"
"Kai Climbs Forbes' Sports Rich List!"
As soon as the news broke—
The top brands in North America went into full panic.
Nike's spokesperson publicly stated:
"We intended to sign this young English midfield talent just like we did with Cristiano Ronaldo. But he seemed unmoved by our sincerity. It's regrettable. As the world's leading sports brand, we view this missed opportunity as a loss for both sides. Perhaps one day, this so-called genius will come around and accept our offer, joining the Nike family."
Fans went wild.
Especially in Chinese circles, where backlash was immediate and fierce.
"Screw them! Acting like they're saints after lowballing him. Everyone knows they're a racist company."
"Kai did the right thing! I'm burning all my Adidas and Nike gear. I'm only wearing Anta Sports from now on!"
"When he releases his own brand, I'm buying every product!"
"Exactly! He's so young and already the first footballer to land a nine-figure deal. With China behind him, who needs Nike?"
The entire football world was buzzing—
Kai had just stamped his name as the brightest star of this generation.
Just recently crowned the summer window's most expensive transfer, smashing the 100 million mark—
Kai's embrace of the Chinese market and landing the largest endorsement contract in history triggered a chain reaction of superstar-level influence.
That very night—
Numerous players across Europe started calling their agents,
asking if they could sign with Anta Sports, the same Chinese sports brand Kai had just partnered with.
Within Arsenal,
Rosický, Van Persie, and Giroud all phoned Kai one after another,
inquiring whether they too could land a sponsorship with the brand.
Anta Sports' market value skyrocketed overnight.
And amid the ever-growing buzz from the outside world—
another major event took place.
FIFA 11 was officially released worldwide!
In a small house somewhere in France,
a 13-year-old youth player rushed home after training, eager to launch the new game.
The moment he saw the cover, he shouted in surprise:
"Mom! Who's this player on the cover? Why isn't it Rooney or Ronaldinho?"
He was stunned.
Up until now, Manchester United's Rooney and Brazil's Ronaldinho had dominated the FIFA cover for four straight years.
His mom patiently explained:
"That's the brightest star in English football right now. He's only around 17, plays for Arsenal, and his transfer fee broke the world record—100 million!"
The boy's eyes lit up.
He started watching Kai's games,
and quickly became captivated by the brilliance of this rising superstar.
Not long after,
his bedroom walls were filled with Kai posters.
"My idol is Kai. My dream is to play for Arsenal alongside him one day!"
he wrote, one word at a time, in his diary.
On the cover of the diary was his name:
Kylian Mbappé.
Across Europe, in Norway—
11-year-old Erling had just celebrated his birthday and was back out on the training pitch.
His dream was to one day play in the Premier League—
just like his dad, a former Manchester City player.
Frustrated, young Erling grumbled to his father,
"Dad, can I stop eating like Ronaldo? I really don't like plain boiled chicken breast!"
Surprisingly, his usually strict father nodded.
"From today, you can switch to a new diet. It's based on the training routine of the Premier League's most incredible talent. I'll start training you the way he trains."
From that day on,
Erling became obsessed with the genius his father talked about.
He watched every one of his matches.
His skills improved rapidly.
And his physique grew at an astonishing pace.
Before long, a local club's youth team came calling.
"Will I really get to play in the Premier League someday? My idol plays for Arsenal!"
One of the coaches smiled and said:
"Of course. As long as you train hard, one day you'll share the pitch with your idol."
"When that time comes, you'll proudly tell him your name."
The boy beamed and shouted,
"I'll tell him, I'm Erling Haaland!"
Stories like this were unfolding all over the world.
It had only been a year since Kai's debut—
Yet he had already become the first football idol for countless young players worldwide.
~~----------------------
To read 50 future chapters head over to patreon:
patreon.com/Dreamer20