"I'm just saying," Trent Alexander-Arnold announced to a nearby Virgil van Dijk, "if you're building a new house, the first thing you install is the trophy cabinet. It's the most important structural element. It holds up the entire ego of the house."

"My wife says the first thing we need is a kitchen," Byon chimed in from across the room, where he was wrestling with a new pair of boots. "Which is just ridiculous. You can't eat a Premier League medal, but you can look at it while you order a pizza. It's simple logic."

"The new boy is quiet," a voice with a rich Egyptian accent called out, and Leon looked up to see Mo Salah grinning at him.

"Don't worry," Salah continued, his eyes sparkling with a friendly, competitive fire. "After a few weeks of this weather, you will be complaining just like the rest of us."

Leon laughed, a genuine, relaxed sound. "I'm still trying to figure out how the plugs work. They look like they are designed for an alien spaceship."

The room chuckled. This was his new family. A loud, confident, ridiculously talented family.

He spent the morning in a series of intense, high-speed drills. The quality was breathtaking. Every pass from Trent was a work of art. Every touch from Salah was electric. Every movement from Isak was a study in controlled power. And Leon, in the middle of it all, was the conductor, his Vision painting a perfect, flowing map of the beautiful chaos. He felt at home.

As the main session ended, the players began to head back inside, a river of red shirts.

"Alright lads, this has been fun," Byon announced, clapping Leon on the back. "But I have to go and train with the enemy now. Pep gets very grumpy if I'm late. He starts sending me sad-face emojis."

"Give him our best," Trent called out with a grin.

"Tell him we'll try to leave him a few points this season."

Byon just laughed and gave a final wave before jogging off towards the exit, a lone blue figure in a sea of red.

The rest of the group lingered on the pitch, the mood light and relaxed.

The club's media team appeared, sensing an opportunity.

"Lads! Quick photo for the socials? The new signings with the legends?"

What followed was a beautiful, chaotic five minutes of terrible poses and infectious laughter.

Salah immediately put his arms around Leon and Hugo Ekitike, pulling them into a tight embrace, a huge, triumphant grin on his face. Isak, the gentle giant, stood behind them, giving a calm, cool thumbs-up.

Trent and Virgil van Dijk photobombed from the side, making ridiculous faces.

They took a dozen photos, the energy pure, unadulterated joy.

Later that day, the club posted one of the pictures on their official "Facelook" account.

The caption was simple: "The future is bright. The future is Red."

The post went viral. Leon's phone buzzed so hard it nearly vibrated off the table.

He checked his own account, and the number was staggering.

12 million followers. The "Liverpool effect" was real.

"Okay, new boys," Trent said, pulling Leon and Ekitike aside as the media team packed up.

"Most important part of pre-season. We need your numbers for the team group chat. It's mostly just pictures of Virgil's dog and bad jokes from the Scottish guy, but it's essential."

As they exchanged numbers, Leon, out of pure, professional curiosity, did a quick, subtle scan with his Vision. A new contact entry would appear in his system, complete with their footballing profile.

[Contact Added: Trent Alexander-Arnold]

[Potential: 92, Current: 91]

[Key Attribute: Vision 96, Passing 97]

[Player Trait: Creative Engine]

.....

[Contact Added: Alexander Isak]

[Potential: 93, Current: 90]

[Key Attribute: Finishing 94, Power 93]

[Player Trait: The Hammer]

And then, the big one.

.....

[Contact Added: Mohamed Salah]

[Potential: 95, Current: 95]

[Key Attribute: Dribbling 96, Speed 97, Finishing 96]

[Player Trait: Alpha Attacker]

The numbers confirmed what he already knew. A living legend at the absolute peak of his powers. The "Alpha Attacker" trait pulsed with a dominant, golden light. The system was right. This was a man who was used to being the center of his team's universe.

"Who's that?" Leon asked, nodding towards a young, quiet player on the far side of the pitch who was practicing free-kicks with a hypnotic, beautiful technique.

"Ah, that's Nate," Trent said, a fond, almost protective, look on his face. "Nathan Ngumoha. Belgian kid. He's a winger. Quiet as a mouse off the pitch, but an absolute bolt of lightning on it. He's got a special talent, that one."

Leon focused his Vision on the young Belgian. The profile box appeared, and the numbers he saw made him stop breathing for a second.

[Contact Added: Nathan Ngumoha]

[Potential: 94, Current: 82]

[Key Attribute: Speed 95, Dribbling 94]

[Player Trait: Raw Diamond]

Ninety-four. Another superstar in the making.

That night, back in his quiet house, the red warning text replayed in his mind. 'Alpha Attacker' and 'Creative Apex' are in direct tactical conflict.

The problem seemed insurmountable. How could he, the new signing, possibly challenge the authority of a legend like Mo Salah? It would be career suicide.

He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, the tactical puzzle box of his own team open in his mind.

He pulled up the profiles: Salah, the king, the established legend.

And Ngumoha, the young prince, the raw, explosive talent on the other wing.

And then, an idea began to form. A wild, radical, and completely new possibility.

He had been so focused on the conflict, on the problem of him and Salah.

But what if that was the wrong way of looking at it? What if the solution wasn't to challenge the king?

With a surge of excitement, he activated the new 'Synergy Creation' feature in his 'Manager Mode'. He didn't link himself and Salah.

He didn't link himself and Isak. He created a new, different trio. He selected himself, the playmaker. He selected Isak, the powerful finisher. And he selected the quiet, explosive Belgian kid, Nathan Ngumoha. He ran the simulation.

The system whirred, processing the data, the potential, the attributes. And then, a new notification appeared, a thrilling, game-changing piece of information that made his heart pound with a fresh wave of excitement.

[New Attacking Synergy Potential Detected: 'The Lightning Rod']

[Trio: Leon (Apex), Isak (Hammer), Ngumoha (Conduit)]

[Synergy Effect: By designating Salah as the primary decoy, Leon's 'Creative Apex' trait can be channeled through Ngumoha's raw speed, creating unpredictable, high-velocity attacks that bypass traditional defensive structures. Probability of Success: 78%.]

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