Carrington Training Base.
Sir Alex Ferguson sat in his office chair, eyes fixed on Manchester United's upcoming fixtures.
Europa League:
February 24 – Second leg against Ajax (away).
Premier League, Round 25:
February 26 – Away clash against Liverpool.
Two matches in forty-eight hours.
"Bloody ridiculous," Ferguson muttered under his breath.
When interviewed by the press, he didn't hold back.
> "This schedule is pure rubbish! The FA doesn't give a damn about English clubs in Europe."
Truth be told, Ferguson never cared much for the Europa League. His eyes were locked on one goal—winning the Premier League and retiring with honor.
But Alessandro knew what was coming.
Manchester City would pull off a historic comeback. In the very last round of the league, Aguero's stoppage-time goal would snatch the title from Manchester United, handing City their first Premier League championship.
That single moment made Ferguson delay his retirement.
He stayed on another year, signed Van Persie from Arsenal, and reclaimed the league title—his twentieth and final trophy before bowing out with glory.
But that was in the future.
Right now, Ferguson faced a difficult decision:
How to manage the Ajax and Liverpool games with such a tight schedule?
He could rest his starters against Ajax… but a poor performance in Europe would crush morale. And no matter Liverpool's chaotic form—they were eighth in the table—the match at Anfield was war.
The North West Derby wasn't just a rivalry.
It was the rivalry.
No manager, especially not Ferguson, would take it lightly.
To complicate things, the first leg against Ajax had ended in a 1-1 draw. He couldn't just send the reserves and hope for a miracle.
Ferguson sighed, lost in thought—
When his assistant, Mike Phelan, walked in holding a fax.
"Alex, take a look at this."
Ferguson scanned the page. "An offer from Arsenal?"
"Who are they after… someone from our U18s? Alessandro Dybala?"
He frowned at the unfamiliar name.
"Let the academy handle it," he waved dismissively. "I've never even heard of this kid."
It wasn't unusual for youth players to be involved in transfers, but first-team coaches rarely got involved in such matters—unless something big was happening.
"Check the date," Mike said.
Ferguson squinted at the document. "A week ago… £600,000."
Then came the second sheet.
"Rejected—and they doubled it. £1.2 million!"
Ferguson's eyes narrowed.
"You don't go from 600k to 1.2 million in one week unless someone important is pushing it."
He instantly knew who.
"Wenger… That sly fox! He's seen something."
Ferguson stood up.
He opened the internal scouting system. Paul McGuinness, the youth coach, had sent him an email with footage attached.
"Our Paul seems pretty high on this kid too," Ferguson muttered.
He clicked the video.
For over an hour, Ferguson and Phelan watched in silence.
When the tape ended, Ferguson turned.
"When's the U18s' next match?"
"Tomorrow. FA Youth Cup quarterfinal—home vs Chelsea."
Ferguson's eyes gleamed.
"Cancel my Ajax prep. I want to see this boy live."
"You're skipping the Ajax lineup meeting?" Mike asked, surprised.
Ferguson nodded. "This kid… I've got a feeling. He's something special."
"He's got potential," Mike agreed. "Could fill in for Park Ji-sung."
"No," Ferguson said firmly. "He's not Park Ji-sung."
"Then who?"
Ferguson's voice was quiet, reverent.
> "Makelele… That kind of player. A defensive genius."
Just from one video, Alessandro Dybala had captivated the greatest manager in football.
For years, United's midfield had lacked that bite. That balance.
If this kid could live up to the tape…
Then for the next ten years—
Manchester United's midfield would be in safe hands.
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