"Waited long enough."
Inside the office, Orto, the general manager of the British branch, stood up from his seat and extended his right hand towards Maël, "Orto, Mr. Mendes should be very familiar with me."
"Hello."
Maël shook his hand with a light hug, then sat down opposite him with Mendes.
"Then let's get straight to the point." Orto handed a copy of the contract on the table to Maël, then turned to Mendes and asked, "How much does the player know about this contract?"
Mendes replied with a smile, "He only knows about the Superimposed Bonus. There's no way around it, you must know, he's the hottest star in the Premier League right now.
"The line of people wanting to sign him stretches from here to Southampton. He also has various interviews, events, and gatherings, plus a tight schedule, so he hasn't had time to learn the details."
Maël hid his face with the contract, glancing at him sideways. Is this exaggerating the truth based on reality with lies mixed in?
He chuckled to himself and began to read the bonus contract, finding it had a similar charm to the one from Arsenal.
It still arranged the club honors he had the opportunity to obtain according to their weight, with different weights corresponding to different bonuses.
However, in addition to this, Puma specifically highlighted personal honors in bold. Compared to the bonus terms offered by the club, they would definitely value the player's personal honors more.
For example, the first-level weight included three championship trophies: World Cup champion, European Cup champion, and Champions League champion.
But there were four personal honors: FIFA Ballon d'Or, UEFA Best Player, FIFA FIFPro World 11, and European Golden Boot.
The bonus for this type of weight reached an astonishing £2 million.
The second-level weight included three championship trophies: Premier League title, FA Cup title, and FIFA Club World Cup title.
The personal honors were the Golden Boy Award, domestic Footballer of the Year, Premier League Golden Boot, Premier League Season's Best Player, Champions League Golden Boot, Champions League Final Best Player, and World Cup Golden Ball, totaling seven.
The bonus for this type of weight was £1 million, which was also very good.
The remaining various championships, various official Best Lineups in major tournaments (not necessarily available), and Best Player awards in finals were worth £500,000.
Overall, as a Superimposed Bonus, this contract was very generous. As long as the player truly had a phenomenal performance, it would be easy to earn more than £5 million in endorsement fees per year, or even more!
Maël's breathing became uneven. He seemed to see countless green banknotes fluttering in the air on the road ahead.
If I perform well... with this bonus plus the club's salary and bonuses, I can quickly acquire that mansion and truly own a fixed asset worth millions of pounds, a place to stand.
Including the possibility of securing more shares if ins needed further financing in the future with a generous pocket.
"Now that the player knows about the Superimposed Bonus, it's time to talk about the Tiered Bonus."
Orto stared at Maël's right hand, estimating his page-turning speed, and introduced, "The Tiered Bonus is calculated based on the player's cumulative seasonal bonus, and the calculation method is simple.
"For £3 million or less, there will be an additional £300,000 bonus for every £1 million in bonuses.
"For £3 million to £6 million, there will be an additional £500,000 bonus for every £1 million. For over £6 million, there will be an £800,000 bonus for every £1 million, almost doubling.
"Note that this is not a complex tiered calculation like a tax rate, but a simple calculation within a season.
"Upon reaching a new tier, all accumulated bonuses within the season will be settled according to the bonus of the new tier."
Mendes smiled as he looked at Maël. He had fought for these in previous negotiations and had known about them for a long time.
He hadn't mentioned it, just wanting to give Maël a stronger surprise and motivation upon arriving here.
He believed Maël would be deeply impressed by this contract and strive for the team honors and personal honors written on it.
"I understand."
Maël put down the contract, interlaced his fingers, and nodded with satisfaction, "What do I need to do?"
"Photo shoots for promotional materials and a maximum of six advertising shoots per year."
Orto dragged his chair closer, his attitude very good, "It won't take up too many days. In total, it will only take up a maximum of 15 days of your time each year.
"In addition, for any matches and training sessions after signing, you may have to wear Puma shoes.
"If shin guards are exposed, or when wearing headbands or muscle patches, you must also use the Puma brand."
"No problem." Maël didn't really care about these things and agreed directly, "Then I might have to choose some Puma shin guards, muscle patches, and bandages now, as there's a league match tomorrow."
"Come with me to the warehouse."
Orto stood up with a smile and took the two of them down to a place by elevator, "Choose a few that you might use tomorrow first."
"Afterward, I will send you several sets of clothes, pants, and sports equipment from all Puma categories. You can slowly pick out some you like for everyday use."
"Do I have to pay?" Maël joked. In his previous life, he quite liked Puma clothes, and now suddenly becoming an ambassador felt a bit strange.
"Hahaha," the three laughed together as they entered the warehouse, jointly selecting equipment for Maël's match the next day.
While preparing the shoes, Maël suddenly had a strange feeling. His football career was inextricably linked to shoes, which could be considered one of his important bonds.
"I think I heard about signature edition shoes from some stars?"
He looked at Orto, a hint of excitement in his eyes, "Do I have a chance to collaborate with Puma to develop a signature edition?"
On one hand, this was to fulfill a dream for the callow youth at Colney Base whose shoes kept coming unglued, allowing 'him' to have shoes that truly belonged to him.
He could also donate 10 pairs for every 100 pairs sold for charity, passing on the warmth Hans had given him to children who loved playing football but couldn't afford shoes.
On the other hand, shoes are to players what weapons are to soldiers.
A pair of shoes designed entirely according to your foot shape and playing characteristics, with an appearance style that matches your personal aesthetic, would naturally be extremely comfortable to wear.
Even if it doesn't improve the accuracy of various shots and passes, it will definitely improve comfort and condition.
"Yes, there is."
Orto's face was slightly embarrassed, and he explained with a dry smile, "However, due to the costs of various designs and developing new production lines, as well as the cost of promoting new categories, brands generally don't make this decision easily."
He subtly expressed that Maël hadn't reached that level yet.
It couldn't be helped. They admired Maël's talent and believed in his future.
But they certainly weren't willing to invest more money now, take on more risk, and give the player such an easy favor.
The target audience for signature shoes isn't just ordinary fans who like the signature star, but fans who like the signature star and also play football.
After two rounds of screening, there wouldn't be many people left. Perhaps they would have to rely more on the 'non-signature star fans' who play football to buy them.
When these people buy, they look at comfort and suitability first, and then at the star's performance data.
Only when they see the star wearing these shoes and putting up very impressive stats will they follow suit and buy them, hoping to perform better on the amateur field or in the youth training team.
"It's okay."
Maël was very interested in signature shoes, without any embarrassment, and said cheerfully, "It's good that there are some. I hope I can have my own signature shoes in the future."
After selecting the small items, Maël tried on the shoes on the small artificial turf in the store, and finally packed four pairs to take home, preparing to try them again during the pitch inspection tomorrow.
Finally, the three came to the general manager's office and officially signed the contract.
"I can only come over to take promotional photos when I have free time. The match schedule has been quite heavy recently."
Maël stood up, shook hands with Orto, and said with a smile, "But tomorrow everyone will see Maël wearing Puma shoes on the field. You can contact the media and spread some smoke bombs first."
"Haha…" Orto leaned back and laughed, saying, "Okay, you will also receive the first year's endorsement fee tomorrow."
"I hope you have the opportunity to win bonuses in your first season. I am very happy to transfer the money from the company's account to your card. That money represents our win-win situation."
This was the truth. Setting bonuses was to encourage players to strive for these important honors.
And as long as the players win these honors, the increase in influence will definitely radiate to the sponsor Puma, who will then be able to obtain greater benefits.
They weren't worried about the players getting too many bonuses, but rather hoped that the players would get more.
"And mine." Mendes was in a great mood, grinning and shaking hands and hugging the two.
After finishing all this, Maël and Mendes walked out of the building and headed towards their destination after saying goodbye.
Maël thought a lot on the way home, whether in terms of income or in terms of clear goals and motivating himself, this endorsement was very worthwhile.
Now, he knew better what he should do and which direction he should develop in.
Superimposed Bonus?
Tiered Bonus?
Within 5 years, he must make the final basic endorsement fee exceed 20 million! He also wanted to strive to develop a signature shoe exclusively for him with Puma as soon as possible with excellent performance!
On September 14th, the 5th round of the Premier League arrived, with Arsenal challenging Blackburn Rovers away.
This was a mid-to-lower team in the Premier League last season, but it had a knack for robbing the rich and helping the poor, often pulling off classic underdog victories, but easily losing to relegation teams.
In this match, they once again erupted with the excitement they show when playing against strong teams, contesting every ball on the field and giving no ground, making very few mistakes.
In the 10th minute, Alexandre Song's long pass found Gervinho, who had entered the penalty area on the wing, replacing Walcott, who was resting today.
"*Bang!*"
Gervinho controlled the ball in the penalty area and unleashed a shot almost identical to Walcott's narrow-angle blast from the previous league match.
One-nil!
But Arsenal's joy didn't last long. 15 minutes later, Blackburn's forward Yakubu received a through ball from Hoilett, broke into the Arsenal penalty area, and slotted a shot into the far corner.
One-all!
"*Bang!*"
Nine minutes later, Arteta received a pass from Maël in the center of the field and responded with a long shot, helping Arsenal take the lead again.
This was also his first Premier League goal for Arsenal!
"Vamos!" The pure Spaniard shouted out a pure Spanish celebration. Arteta celebrated with an enthusiastic rising dragon punch, and after Maël came up, he jumped onto Maël.
"Seems like the easiest assist of my career." Maël praised, truly feeling a bit emotional, "Now I know how comfortable the person who assisted my long-range goal last season felt."
Arteta waved his fists a few times before jumping back to the ground, laughing, "I also hope I can get such an easy assist."
"Then pass it to me."
Maël patted his chest, and the two were then surrounded by other teammates who rushed over.
They soon went into halftime with a 1-goal lead, but the lead still didn't last long.
Just five minutes into the second half, Rubén Rochina's cross hit Alexandre Song's knee and bounced into the Arsenal net.
Two-all! Tied again! Nine minutes later, Blackburn's forward Yakubu, who had scored in the first half, got an absolute chance to counterattack. He received a pass from Nzonzi and faced Szczęsny in a One-on-One.
"*Bang!*"
Seeing Szczęsny's attack was too rash, he chipped the ball from outside the penalty area, and the ball bounced off the ground and finally into the net.
Three-two! Blackburn took the lead! Wenger quickly replaced Gervinho with Walcott, and then replaced Alexandre Song with Chamakh, playing a four-two-four formation for a strong attack.
In the 69th minute, Arsenal launched a quick counterattack, with six midfielders and forwards all attacking.
The one dribbling the ball was naturally Maël. He had two chances today, but for some reason, he failed to score.
Perhaps it was because he was wearing Puma shoes that he had never worn before, and he hadn't fully adapted yet.
"*Bang, bang, bang!*"
He dribbled the ball and sprinted up the left wing, quickly surrounded by Salgado and Samba, both former Real Madrid players.
Looking at the empty wing, he kept dribbling and accelerating, each touch making him faster, both steady and sharp.
Salgado and Samba soon felt a sense of slow death, watching Maël slowly pass by them, and they had no way to stop him.
When Maël changed direction to go to the center, the two crashed heavily into each other on the wing because they couldn't brake, falling to the ground.
Dann, who was fluctuating, didn't dare to let Maël enter the vicinity of the arc and wanted to pull Maël down directly outside the penalty area.
Unfortunately, every attempt failed. Instead, he fell to the ground in a mess, eating dirt.
People were falling all over the place!
"*Bang!*"
Maël then unleashed a curved shot from the corner of the penalty area. He deliberately increased the strength of his wrist swing to get a bigger curve, bypassing the goalkeeper's hands.
Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Robinson leaped out, only to fall back to the ground without success, his hands only grabbing air.
"Swish!" The ball brushed the upper right corner of the net and went into the goal, dashing and dazzling, plunging the home fans into a long silence.
Maël didn't go to the wing to celebrate, but rushed to the goal to pick up the ball, roaring as he ran back to the center circle.
Three-all! Maël's 7th Premier League goal! He ran wildly against the breeze, the hair hanging over his forehead fluttering up, revealing his entire handsome face.
People could see Maël's appearance in the broadcast footage through the big screen in the stadium. His features were handsome and three-dimensional, like jade carvings, his wheat-colored skin gave a masculine feeling, and his figure was almost perfect.
Like Nesta from the Italian national football team in the past, but with fewer wrinkles.
Many female fans felt a strange sensation in their hearts upon seeing this, their hearts pounding rapidly.
But unfortunately, the match ended with a score of three to three.
Maël, who scored 1 goal, had 1 assist, and delivered 3 key passes, was named Man of the Match, his second time this season.
During the interview, he recalled a previous statement, shaking his head and saying, "Like I said, we can be tripped up by small stones. Maybe this wasn't even a trip, just a stumble before continuing forward."
"No offense to Blackburn Rovers, but we were the stronger side and should have won, but they stopped us with a better performance."
"It's okay, with 3 wins and 2 draws in the first 5 games, remaining undefeated and sitting in fourth place with 11 points, we've managed to stabilize the situation."
"We will aim for a higher ranking. Now, I need to prepare for the Champions League."
He waved to the reporters, left Blackburn's home stadium, and boarded the team bus for the return journey.
The atmosphere on the bus was still somewhat subdued. Maël didn't chat with anyone, retracting the optimistic facade he had shown to the media.
A draw against Blackburn definitely felt different from a draw against Manchester United.
He needed to adapt to the new boots and the feeling of being thwarted in the Premier League. He had to steady his mentality. Only then would he avoid quickly surrendering when facing difficulties.
Stay resilient and continue to strive for the championship!
"Maël debuts new boots, rumored to have reached a sponsorship deal with Puma, official announcement imminent?" – The Sun
"Arsenal set to begin their new Champions League campaign, facing Dortmund away. Besides the duel between Van Persie and Lewandowski, will this also be a clash of talents between Maël and Götze?" – BBC Champions League Column
"Golden Boy battle? Maël to face Golden Boy favorite Götze in his Champions League debut!" – German Football Express
After returning home that night, Maël saw many reports about him on social media, either about Puma or the Golden Boy Award.
Of course, there were also praises for his consecutive goals, but he had seen so many of those that he didn't pay much attention to them anymore.
Most of the time, he just scrolled past, only taking a closer look if he encountered reports questioning him.
He was no longer the same as when he first arrived in the Premier League. With his goals elevated, ordinary praise rarely gave him a feeling of joy.
Only when he achieved his goals, seeing the overwhelming reports about his significant moments all over the internet, would he be content and happy for days.
"Puma is laying the groundwork."
He put down his phone, thinking, "Puma doesn't seem to have a Ballon d'Or winner. If the future cooperation is smooth, when I have a chance to compete for the Ballon d'Or, they might go all out to create momentum."
But the best way was still to be truly ready, to grind out a level of strength that surpassed everyone else, and to win that year's Ballon d'Or trophy without any suspense!
"The Golden Boy Award is also laying the groundwork."
He thought of Dortmund, whom he was about to face, and Götze, whom he would soon confront directly, and a few expectations for the award arose in his heart.
Since his ultimate goal was a Grand Slam, the Golden Boy Award was naturally the first step towards major individual honors.
Not to mention, Puma valued this award with a bonus of £1 million.
If he won it, his sponsorship fee from Puma this year would directly reach £1.85 million, and next year it would start with a superimposed bonus based on that amount.
"I have to try to explode them."
Maël secretly cheered himself on. He was already achieving good stats in the Premier League. If he could explode Götze in the Champions League, then the Golden Boy Award should be in the bag.
Without thinking about anything else, he drank some fat-free yogurt and went upstairs to rest.
The next day, Maël slowed down his training pace, spending more time resting and getting massages.
Safina and Harry's workload increased. That's how a private team works; they must flexibly work overtime and rest according to the player's schedule.
The 17th league game was about to begin, with only 2 days of rest in between.
Maël had to make good use of it, striving to get his body into better condition!
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