World football system-Chapter 69: Under the Eyes of Europe

Date: January 13, 2029

Location: Emirates Stadium, London

Event: Arsenal vs Chelsea – Premier League Matchday 21

Attendance: 60,250 (Scouts from Madrid, Bayern, PSG, Portugal FA in attendance)

Weather: Overcast, slight drizzle

Kick-off Time: 5:30 PM

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"Big game, yeah?"

Gabriel Magalhães clapped Tobi on the shoulder in the tunnel, the scent of muscle rub and rain hanging thick in the air.

Tobi didn’t answer right away.

His eyes were fixed on the other side.

Chelsea.

Blue. Cold. Full of arrogance and hunger.

Nicolas Jackson. Enzo Fernández. Reece James back from injury.

But it wasn’t just about the opposition tonight.

It was about who was watching.

Above in the executive suites, three major club representatives were seated. Madrid’s Emilio Ramos again. Bayern’s director of football. A PSG scout who hadn’t even bothered to hide his badge.

And beside them?

A single Portugal FA official.

All eyes on the 20-year-old midfielder with the #8 on his back.

Tobi Oliveira.

---

> System Prompt:

Objective Activated: Deliver a World-Class Performance

Required: 9.0+ Match Rating, Key Contribution, 90 Mins Completed

Buffs Active: Home Field Focus, Partner Presence (Emilia in attendance), High-Stakes Surge

Emotion: Controlled Fire

Internal Conflict: 63% Resolved

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"Oliveira! Let’s go!"

Saka’s voice cut through the buzz.

Tobi slapped his cheeks, exhaled, and stepped onto the pitch.

Floodlights lit the grass like a stage. The roar of the crowd swelled. Emirates vibrated.

---

1st Minute – Arsenal Kick-Off

The game started fast.

Chelsea pressed high. Arsenal passed slick.

Tobi dropped deep to collect. Enzo shadowed him.

Touch. Turn. Switch wide to Martinelli.

Immediate applause.

He was in rhythm already.

---

6th Minute – First Chance

Ødegaard received between the lines. Slipped it to Tobi.

20 yards out.

He feinted left, drove right—past Caicedo.

Shot—

Saved! by Robert Sánchez.

The crowd groaned.

Arteta clapped.

Tobi tapped his chest, nodded. Next time.

---

> System Note:

Shot On Target – Precision +2%

Confidence Meter: 79%

---

14th Minute – Chelsea Counter

Arsenal lost it high up.

Mudryk sprinted down the left.

White backed off—Tobi tracked all the way back.

Mudryk cut in—Tobi lunged.

Clean. Ball and nothing else.

The Emirates roared.

---

"Oi, you want to play CB next week?" Ben White shouted, grinning.

Tobi just smiled.

---

23rd Minute – GOAL

Martinelli won a foul wide left.

Tobi stood over the ball.

A hush.

He whipped it, left-footed.

Perfect flight. Perfect pace.

Saliba met it with a glancing header.

GOAL!

Arsenal 1 – 0 Chelsea

The stadium erupted.

Tobi raised one fist. Looked straight up at the scout box.

Message sent.

> System Log:

Assist Registered

Key Pass x3

Match Rating: 8.2

---

34th Minute – Warning Signs

Chelsea came alive.

Jackson beat Gabriel. Shot—Raya saved.

But Arsenal were starting to wobble.

Arteta barked instructions. Tobi dropped even deeper, forming a pivot with Partey.

Controlled. Measured.

---

45+2 – HALFTIME

Arsenal led 1–0.

Inside the dressing room, Arteta gathered them close.

"Do NOT think they’re done. We play like it’s 0–0."

Then he looked at Tobi.

"You’re dictating this game. Keep your foot on their necks."

Tobi nodded once.

---

Second Half

Chelsea came out flying.

Pressure. Intensity.

55th minute – Reece James cracked a shot off the bar.

59th – Gallagher curled one just wide.

Arsenal needed calm.

Tobi delivered.

He took control—every pass, every transition.

66th minute – he dribbled past Enzo, Caicedo, and Colwill—then laid it wide for Martinelli again.

Cross.

Nketiah—header—

GOAL!

Arsenal 2 – 0 Chelsea

---

> System Update:

Second Assist (Pre-Assist) Logged

Match Rating: 9.3

Buff Activated: Scout Magnet

Real Madrid Interest: Tier 2 ➝ Tier 1 Priority

---

76th Minute – Substitution Incoming?

Tobi saw his number not on the board.

Arteta kept him on.

He understood.

Tonight wasn’t just about winning.

It was about proving something.

---

84th Minute – Moment of Magic

Emilia stood in the crowd, hands tight around a hot drink, watching him dance through Chelsea’s midfield again.

He played a 1–2 with Ødegaard. Got it back. Slid between defenders.

Chipped it.

Crossbar.

So close.

She gasped.

He smiled from the pitch, even in the near-miss.

---

> System Prompt:

Confidence Maxed

Performance Bonus Unlocked

Sponsor Interest: +3 Brands

Match Rating: 9.7

---

Full-Time – Arsenal 2–0 Chelsea

Tobi collapsed onto the grass, sweat pouring, crowd singing his name.

"TOBI! TOBI! TOBI!"

The cameras found him.

So did the Madrid scout.

And more importantly—

So did Emilia.

She rushed past barriers. Straight into his arms.

"I’ve never seen you like this," she whispered, breathless.

"Me neither."

---

> System Final Stats

Match Rating: 9.7

Assist: 1

Key Passes: 5

Duels Won: 11

Heatmap: Full Midfield Coverage

Buffs Gained: European Magnetism, Partner Sync

Transfer Status: Madrid preparing verbal approach

Arsenal preparing counter-incentives

Contract Decision Window: 18 Days Left

Absolutely — no breaks, all read-along. Let’s jump into it.

Location: London / Madrid / Cambridge

It came at 3:16 AM.

A ping. A light buzz on the marble nightstand.

Tobi opened his eyes slowly. Emilia stirred beside him, murmured softly, then went still again.

One Message. From His Agent.

"Madrid just called. They’re ready."

No emoji. No follow-up. Just gravity.

He sat up in the dark, blinked twice, then stood and walked to the window. London slept below him. Streetlights reflected off soaked roads. The hum of nothingness wrapped around his thoughts.

And in the distance—he felt it.

Change.

Later That Morning – Agent’s Office, West London

A corner desk. Too clean. A cup of untouched espresso steaming beside his laptop.

His agent, Dário Cruz, Portuguese and blunt, was already waiting.

"Sit. No drama."

Tobi dropped into the chair, hoodie over his head, eyes unreadable.

Dário slid a printed document across the desk.

Tobi stared at the header.

REAL MADRID C.F.

Proposta de Transferência: Tobi Oliveira

The Offer:

Weekly Salary: €410,000

Signing Bonus: €6 million

Image Rights: 60/40 split (in Tobi’s favor)

Contract Length: 5 years

Squad Role: Starting XI, CAM (Jude Bellingham’s replacement)

Jersey Number Offered: #10

Living Package: Private luxury estate in La Finca, custom gym + full security

Transfer Fee Offered to Arsenal: €100 million flat, no add-ons

Coach Approval: Carlo Ancelotti signed

Tobi ran his hand through his curls.

"Jude’s number?"

Dário nodded.

"They want you now. Not next summer. Not as an apprentice. As the heir."

"And Arsenal?"

"They don’t know yet. Verbal stage only. Madrid wants you to feel the power before the pressure."

Tobi leaned back, heart pounding—but not out of fear.

Out of temptation.

System Surge:

"Forked Destiny" Event Triggered

New Trait Detected: Loyalty Tension (Emotionally Split)

Buff/Curse Active: Magnetism (Every Club Now Watching)

Decision Timer: 17 Days

Partner Effect: Notified – Awaiting Emotional Sync

That Night – Tobi’s Apartment

Emilia sat in the corner chair, legs curled under her, reading a medical journal.

Tobi placed the offer on the coffee table.

She looked at it.

Then at him.

"You’ve already decided, haven’t you?"

"No," he said.

"Yes," she whispered.

He sighed. Sat across from her.

"They’re offering the number 10. Starting role. Replacing Jude."

"I know what that means," she said.

Silence.

Then:

"I got a call from Cambridge."

Tobi’s head snapped up.

"They’re bumping my program. Early access. They want me this summer."

The silence between them felt like a wall too high to climb over.

"If I go to Madrid..." he started.

"I can’t follow. Not yet."

They sat for over an hour without speaking. Just existing in the same room. Breathing. Hurting.

Then Emilia finally stood, walked over, and curled into his lap.

"Whatever you choose," she murmured, "don’t do it for me. Or for them. Do it because when you close your eyes at night, it’s the only future you can live with."

He held her tighter.

But he didn’t respond.

Because he didn’t know the answer yet.

January 17 – Arsenal’s Response

Edu and Arteta called a closed-door meeting.

Only three people inside.

Edu. Arteta. Tobi.

They laid down their offer.

The Arsenal Counter-Offer:

Weekly Salary: £300,000

Captaincy from 2029–30 Season guaranteed

Icon Clause: Arsenal to launch "Oliveira Brand" across London/Nike Europe

Camden Residency Property

Family Package – Sister’s School + Mother’s Foundation fully funded by club

Emilia’s tuition at Cambridge covered – if accepted

Tobi blinked. "Emilia?"

Arteta smiled. "You forget we know everything?"

He swallowed hard.

System Alert:

Arsenal Loyalty Buff Re-Activated

Partner Life Interlinked – +25% Relationship Sync

Trait Detected: Emotional Overlap

Decision Deadline: 13 Days

Hidden Stat Revealed: Fear of Letting Go

That night, Tobi opened his system interface for the first time in days.

The digital stats shimmered.

Name: Tobi Oliveira

Position: CAM

Club: Arsenal (Active)

Overall Rating: 91

Potential Range: 94–97 (if moved to La Liga) | 91–94 (if he stays in EPL)

Chemistry with Team: 93

Love Sync (Emilia): 86

Stress Level: 71%

Legacy Score (Projected): Forked: Arsenal Legend or European Royalty

There were two buttons glowing now.

"Accept Madrid"

"Stay Arsenal"

He hovered his finger.

Paused.

Then closed the system.

Final Days – Quiet Before the Fire

He trained. He scored in practice. He made time for Leonor’s calls from Portugal (she was scoring weekly now). He helped his mom fix her TV over FaceTime. He took Emilia to a quiet park in Hampstead Heath and kissed her under an umbrella while pigeons scattered in protest.

But the deadline loomed.

Ticking.

Ticking.

Ticking.

System Countdown:

Decision Day: January 31

Days Remaining: 10

Emotional Sync: Locked

Scout Report: Real Madrid finalizing bid

Arsenal media embargo active

World Watches: 27 countries tracking the Oliveira Transfer Storm

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