Sometimes, when Ethan looked at New Manchester United's current squad and academy, he could not help feeling that the club's collection of talent was almost absurdly extravagant.
Had this group of players been assembled in 2010, people would probably have dismissed it as an unrealistic lineup that could exist only in a football video game.
Yet somehow, it had become a reality at New Manchester United.
Ethan was not worried that having too many talented prospects would prevent some of them from developing properly.
On the contrary, he believed strongly in competition.
Why could clubs such as Sevilla continue producing one outstanding player after another?
Because the competition was fierce.
Every player knew that the moment he relaxed or made repeated mistakes, a teammate would be ready to overtake him and claim his place.
The pressure created by such intense competition kept players disciplined and gave the entire team enormous competitive strength.
Besides, the group led by Messi and Ishmael would need at least another four years before they were ready to shoulder major responsibilities in the first team.
Who knew what might happen during those four years?
As for the generation that included Jack Wilshere and Jack Rodwell, they would need at least another eight years before they could contribute meaningfully to the senior side.
They belonged to an entirely different age group.
Ethan had no reason to worry about competition eight years into the future.
In truth, he did not believe there was anything to worry about at all.
Seeing that both the owner and the manager were satisfied with his work, Cassell smiled as well.
"Besides the players on the list you gave me, our scouts have made a few discoveries of their own."
After Ethan and the others finished joking, Cassell continued his report.
"Really? Let's hear them," Ethan said, not giving the matter much thought.
"Have you heard that Chelsea have recently been watching a highly talented youngster at Swindon?" Cassell asked with a smile.
Mourinho immediately laughed.
"Are you talking about the eleven-year-old who ran 100 metres in 11.5 seconds at a regional athletics meeting?"
Everyone looked surprised.
An eleven-year-old capable of running that quickly sounded more like a future sprinter than a footballer.
Ethan, however, immediately thought of a name.
Theo Walcott.
But had he not joined Southampton?
"That's him," Cassell said. "Chelsea have been desperate to sign him. They even invited him to Stamford Bridge as a ball boy, but he still refused to join their academy."
There was a trace of satisfaction in Cassell's voice.
Many traditional figures in English football disliked Chelsea's approach in recent years.
Ken Bates had repeatedly made dismissive remarks about English players in public, which had damaged his reputation within the game.
Chelsea were also notorious for neglecting youth development.
For a club that had once fielded a starting eleven without a single English player, it was difficult to believe that developing local talent was a genuine priority, especially after Bates's repeated comments.
"Is it Theo Walcott?" Ethan asked with a smile.
Cassell nodded.
"Yes. He's currently with Swindon's academy, but several clubs are already watching him."
"We probably don't have much that would persuade him to join us, do we?" Ethan asked.
Frankly, Ethan's impression of Walcott was fairly neutral.
He neither particularly admired nor disliked him.
In Ethan's previous life, Walcott had spent many years at Arsenal without developing as much as people had once expected.
Of course, limited playing time had contributed to that, but Ethan also felt that his technical ability was not especially outstanding.
His greatest weapon was undoubtedly his pace.
"I've heard that his father wants to send him to a club with a stronger academy," Cassell replied. "I think we should at least try."
Cassell clearly rated Walcott highly.
English football had always been fascinated by exceptionally quick players, from Michael Owen to later prospects such as Agbonlahor and Walcott.
"All right. You can handle it.
"By the way, have we heard anything from Ravenna?" Ethan asked.
He had sent scouts to Ravenna in Italy to search for Davide Santon.
Santon was a talented player capable of operating on either flank, and Ethan thought it would be a shame to overlook him.
Ravenna were playing in Serie D that season, so recruiting a player under the age of ten from their academy should not be especially difficult for New Manchester United.
The real question was whether the boy and his family would agree to move.
"Nothing yet," Cassell replied with a smile. "It's a small club, and apparently the player hasn't been easy to locate.
"However, one of our scouts recently sent me another report. There's a very talented young striker in Everton's academy named Wayne Rooney. He's almost sixteen and supposedly exceptional."
Ethan's eyes immediately lit up.
Rooney would become one of England's leading forwards.
"Can we sign him?"
Cassell shook his head.
"I asked them to make contact, but his entire family are devoted Everton supporters. He's also been with their academy since childhood.
"He has no interest in coming to Manchester."
Although Liverpool and Manchester were not geographically far apart, in football terms they might as well have been different countries.
"Then forget it. We already have Ishmael and Pato," Ethan said with a laugh.
Wayne Rooney was outstanding, but Everton were a Premier League club and valued him highly.
There was no realistic chance of persuading them to release him.
Even if Ethan offered more money, could he convince Everton, let alone Rooney and his family?
Pato, Kaká, and several of the other young players Ethan had recruited in Brazil had travelled to Manchester during the summer to attend New Manchester United's training camp.
They trained with the club for a month, underwent tests in Professor Fryer's laboratory, and then returned to Brazil.
Among them, Kaká, Thiago Silva, and Daniel Alves had already reached São Paulo's first-team setup.
Thiago Silva was indeed the same central defender who would later become a key figure for AC Milan.
Following Ethan's advice, he had now permanently moved into central defence.
Reports suggested that he was performing well and had made considerable progress.
Daniel Alves was being used as a right-sided attacker and had become an important squad player, while Kaká was already one of São Paulo's leading stars.
Kaká had performed extremely well during the closing stages of the previous season.
This year, he had become one of the team's central figures, and calls for his inclusion in the Brazilian national team were growing stronger.
Ethan remained in frequent contact with him.
Kaká hoped to earn a place in the national team as soon as possible, and he also wanted New Manchester United to rise through the divisions quickly.
His greatest wish was to obtain a work permit and finally play for the Red Rebels.
Although several clubs were already interested in him, Kaká had assured Ethan over the telephone that if he ever left São Paulo, he would join only New Manchester United.
That was not simply because Ethan had helped him.
It was also because the club had always treated him as an important part of its future.
Professor Fryer's laboratory sent staff to Brazil every month.
Using the players' test results, they created individual training programmes and dietary plans for Kaká and the others, helping them strengthen their bodies and improve their fitness.
That support was one reason Kaká was developing even more quickly than Ethan remembered.
Whenever they spoke, Ethan repeatedly told him that New Manchester United had reserved a central role for him.
The club was simply waiting for him to arrive.
At times, Ethan desperately wished New Manchester United could reach the Premier League sooner.
He wanted to see players such as Kaká, Messi, and Ribéry wearing the same shirt.
Under Mourinho's guidance, he believed they could transform New Manchester United and perhaps even change English football.
Thinking about Kaká and Messi immediately reminded Ethan of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was still in Sporting Lisbon's academy.
The Portuguese prodigy was already attracting considerable attention there.
Given New Manchester United's current status, persuading him to join would be extremely difficult.
However, there was no harm in monitoring his progress.
With that thought, Ethan immediately assigned the task to Cassell.
The possibility that several future superstars might all play for his club was immensely exciting.
Even imagining them developing into world-class players at New Manchester United filled him with pride.
...
Over the following days, Ethan remained busy negotiating with Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and several other clubs regarding the proposed youth league.
Sheffield United later heard about the plan and also expressed considerable interest.
With Manchester at the centre, the journeys to Liverpool, Leeds, and Sheffield were all relatively manageable.
Transport links were convenient, making regular fixtures between the clubs practical.
Creating such a youth league was clearly worthwhile.
The FA also paid close attention to the joint application submitted by the clubs.
They specifically invited representatives from each club to London for a meeting, where they discussed the structure of the competition and the organisation of its different age groups.
In the end, they agreed to begin with under-16, under-14, and under-12 divisions.
Fifteen interested professional clubs from across the North West and nearby regions would form the new competition, with the FA responsible for its organisation and administration.
However, when Ethan proposed financial support for clubs with fewer resources, the FA said that the matter still required further consideration and negotiation.
It appeared that the notoriously cautious officials intended to delay the issue for as long as possible.
Nevertheless, all fifteen clubs selected by the FA belonged to the professional leagues.
Even without additional funding, none raised any serious objections.
The fixture lists were soon arranged.
The opening under-16 match would see Manchester United travel to Liverpool, while New Manchester United's under-16 side would begin at home against Leeds United.
Despite hosting the match, New Manchester United did not place excessive importance on the result.
At youth level, developmental value mattered far more than victory, especially when players were competing against opponents of the same age.
Cassell therefore did not recall Messi or Ishmael.
Instead, he selected Michael Johnson, who was younger and not currently involved with the under-18 side, to play for the under-16s against Leeds.
Although Johnson was only thirteen, he looked completely comfortable against significantly older opponents.
His control of midfield was remarkably composed, particularly his passing, which twice cut open Leeds United's defence.
He also scored with a long-range strike from deep, helping New Manchester United secure a 3-2 victory.
The most eye-catching player in the Leeds side was undoubtedly Aaron Lennon.
Among players of his age, his pace was exceptional, and he produced an impressive performance.
However, Moniz, who watched the match alongside Ethan, was less convinced by Lennon's technical ability.
Michael Johnson, by comparison, was superior to most of his peers in his control, passing, and command of the match's tempo.
While New Manchester United's under-16 side defeated Leeds, the first team continued collecting victories in League Two.
(To be continued.)