On July 14th, the World Cup officially came to an end. The German machine lifted the trophy, claiming football's highest honor.
After 24 years, Germany were champions again—four-time World Cup winners at last.
In the final, Mario Götze's decisive strike settled the contest, edging Argentina after a tense night. Messi's Argentina fell at the final hurdle.
For Messi, the trophy had been painfully close. Just a step away—close enough to see it, not close enough to touch it.
Germany erupted in celebration.
For Joachim Löw and this generation of players, it was a moment of near-deification. Their names were etched permanently into the history of German football.
Meanwhile, back in London, Arsenal's training base was already alive with noise and movement.
Pre-season had begun—far earlier than usual.
Most clubs wouldn't issue call-up notices until the end of July, easing players back in after the summer. Arsenal, however, were already a month ahead.
And this time, it wasn't driven by the club.
The push came from the players themselves.
Of course, not everyone had returned. A few were sidelined by injury. Some hadn't responded to Kai's call. Others, with transfers looming, were conspicuously absent.
Still, the training ground was buzzing.
Many of Arsenal's squad were internationals, knocked out at various stages of the World Cup. The disappointment lingered, and they poured it into training—running harder, tackling sharper, working longer.
Mertesacker was the obvious exception.
As a newly crowned World Cup winner, he was still back in Germany, soaking in applause, flowers, and endless congratulations.
"Alright, that's enough for today!"
Kai clapped his hands, bringing the session to a close.
The players drifted toward the changing room, laughing and talking as they peeled off their training tops.
"When Per gets back, he's paying for a dinner. No excuses."
"Today's workload was heavy. Felt like double."
"Double? Felt more like triple."
"Maybe you weren't working hard before?"
"Rubbish."
Suárez opened his locker and took out a mate and herbal teas.
They were Chinese teas that Kai had given out. Suárez couldn't get used to drinking them hot, so he let them cool and sipped through a bombilla. Kai had once told him that drinking tea like that had "no soul," but habits were hard to change.
In the corner of the room, N'Golo Kanté quietly packed his things. His locker was tucked away at the edge—standard placement for a newcomer. At Arsenal, locker positions shifted toward the center with status and performance.
Even Kai had started in the corner once.
By now, Arsenal's leadership group was clear.
First captain: Kai.
Second captain: Arteta.
Third captain: Sagna.
Kai was the youngest captain in the club's history. Unprecedented—but not unimaginable for the future.
The board, the owner, the senior staff, and the coaching team were all aligned. Arsenal trusted him.
So did the fans.
They believed the club was heading somewhere brighter under this young captain, and they were willing to place their hopes squarely on his shoulders.
...
"Let's issue the official call-up on July 25th."
Arsène Wenger stood by the window of his office, watching the players leave the training ground. He smiled as he spoke.
"And Di María's unveiling—we'll handle that ourselves. The announcement goes out tomorrow."
Di María's future had been a hot topic. Rumors were everywhere, and many assumed Manchester United were leading the race.
Wenger intended to end the speculation.
It would give Arsenal supporters something to look forward to—and send a message to the rest of the league that Arsenal were ready to move.
"What about Rio Ferdinand?" someone asked.
Pat Rice shrugged lightly. "You still haven't replied."
Wenger thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Sign him. One year. We'll decide on an extension based on how he performs."
"Alright," Pat replied.
The next day, Real Madrid and Arsenal released their announcements simultaneously.
Ángel Di María was officially an Arsenal player.
The reaction was immediate—and explosive.
Only days earlier, Di María had been heavily linked with Manchester United. Many believed Old Trafford was his destination.
Instead, Wenger moved quickly and decisively, snatching him away.
Manchester United were already furious.
Then the second piece of news broke.
Rio Ferdinand had joined Arsenal on a free transfer.
That was the moment Old Trafford truly erupted.
Manchester United supporters were well aware of Ferdinand's move. Many were even prepared to wish farewell to a defender who had given so much to the club.
But that didn't mean they were willing to see him join Arsenal.
For years, Arsenal had been Manchester United's biggest rival in the title race—and last season, more than ever, that rivalry felt painfully unbalanced.
One side was Arsenal, riding the crest of their power.
The other was Manchester United, clearly in a period of decline.
Back when Arsenal were struggling, United fans never missed a chance to mock them. Now, Arsenal fans weren't even saying much—they were simply taking players away. And Ferdinand had agreed to it.
That was what truly infuriated people.
Ferdinand's social media accounts were quickly flooded, then effectively shut down. United fans could accept him joining almost anyone—just not a direct rival, and certainly not one of the Premier League's elite.
Ferdinand offered no explanation. He chose silence.
That said, outside of Manchester United and Arsenal circles, most attention was still fixed firmly on Di María.
At Real Madrid, Di María had been one of the most effective wide players in Europe, yet his role and treatment never quite matched his contributions. With Madrid turning their focus toward James Rodríguez, Di María's position was no longer secure.
The moment the two clubs made their announcements, Di María followed up with a simple message on social media:
"Hello, Arsenal."
It was brief, but it was enough.
Arsenal fans responded warmly. His ability was beyond question, and his arrival immediately strengthened an area where Arsenal had lacked depth on the flanks.
More importantly, supporters didn't expect Di María to carry the team alone. This Arsenal side didn't revolve around one star.
The heart of the team was the midfield—Kai and Cazorla were the axis around which everything turned.
Di María could play his natural game, stretch the pitch, and enjoy the freedom this system offered. Many believed this environment suited him perfectly.
At the same time, discontent began brewing elsewhere in the league.
Other Premier League clubs quietly protested Arsenal's early return to training. Calling players back during their holidays crossed an unwritten line.
Arsenal explained that the players had returned voluntarily.
Almost no one believed it.
In the eyes of rival clubs, Arsenal had tasted success—and now they were hungry for more.
Reactions varied.
Some managers publicly criticized the move, then privately ordered their squads back early.
Some talked loudly but did nothing. Others simply accepted reality and chose not to resist.
Queens Park Rangers, newly promoted after just one season away, watched it all in confusion.
They'd barely been gone—how had the league become this pressured?
Competition in the Premier League had always been fierce. Now, it felt relentless.
Fans of other clubs began applying pressure of their own.
The logic was simple.
"Look at the champions," they said. "They're already working. What excuse do you have to rest?"
Players could be criticized. Clubs could be criticized.
Fans, however, could not.
Quietly, many clubs issued early recall notices, while publicly insisting that players had returned of their own free will.
From that moment on, the Premier League's pre-season effectively grew longer.
As for the person who unknowingly set everything in motion—Kai remained completely focused on training.
Inside Arsenal, the intensity was unmistakable.
Maybe it was the memory of last season's title.
Maybe it was the momentum that had built since Kai became captain.
Or maybe it was the shared belief that something even bigger was within reach.
Whatever the reason, the atmosphere was electric.
Energy seemed endless.
This season, Arsenal's squad was deeper and more complete. If the new pieces blended smoothly, they believed they could go even further.
They trained together, pushed together, and dreamed together—ready to challenge new limits on a bigger stage.
They didn't just want success.
They wanted history.
They wanted their names remembered at the club.
And they all understood one thing:
To achieve that, they needed to win again.
. . .
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