Li Qiang's first task upon arriving in Manchester was to help Gao Nuo renew his contract with Manchester United as his agent. After Gao Nuo rejected Real Madrid's transfer offer, Erik ten Hag also fulfilled his promise and presented Gao Nuo with a new contract.
After discussions between Li Qiang and Gao Nuo, a 3-year contract was signed, with a weekly salary of 32,500 euros, an 8,000 euro goal bonus, a 5,000 euro assist bonus, and a 10% annual salary increase.
Gao Nuo then signed an agent contract with Li Qiang for an annual salary of 250,000 euros. Li Qiang also began contacting relevant academies to study for and obtain his agent's license.
Then there was the second big matter: endorsement contracts.
Zhao Dong's sports goods company, Su Xun Sports, after six months of development and operation, had opened 8 directly operated stores and 13 chain stores in 10 first-tier cities.
Zhao Dong was very sincere, offering Gao Nuo a 2-year endorsement contract worth 3 million China yuan, and also planned to create a Gao Nuo series of football boot products.
Although the contract value didn't seem high, it was different from the usual long-term contracts offered by major sports brands like Nike and Adidas. The contract duration was only two years, and both Zhao Dong and Gao Nuo knew that if they could renew after two years, the price might increase by many times over.
There are countless fallen talents in the football world, let alone a China kid. At least until now, Zhao Dong was the first person to offer Gao Nuo an endorsement contract.
During Gao Nuo's month-long absence, Manchester United achieved an impressive record of 5 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in various competitions, and even ranked third in the Premier League standings. Although they were 13 points behind second-placed Manchester City, considering the team's injury situation and the packed schedule of four-front warfare, both the club and fans were satisfied with Manchester United's performance.
With the closing of the winter transfer window, Manchester United's signings also came to an end.
Manchester United, plagued by financial difficulties, did not make any major moves, only loaning in Dutch forward Wout Weghorst, and also loaning Austrian midfielder Marcel Sabitzer.
On February 16, 2023, Manchester United welcomed their opponent for the first leg of the Europa League knockout play-offs: Barcelona!
Gao Nuo, who was included in the squad list, did not get a chance to play. After 90 minutes, Manchester United drew 2-2 with Barça.
On February 19, 2023, in the Premier League, Manchester United played Leicester City. Gao Nuo finally returned to the field after more than a month.
Starting the match, Gao Nuo played the full 90 minutes but did not get any assists or goals. He attempted 8 dribbles, succeeding twice, and delivered one dangerous pass. Although the team won 3-0, Gao Nuo's mediocre performance still drew criticism from the media.
Daily Report: "Team win can't hide Gao Nuo's slump, post-injury magic gone."
Three Days Two Reports: "Following Dong Zhuo, another China player for Manchester United was a flash in the pan."
Football Weekly: "Manchester United win to secure third place, Gao Nuo starts and plays full match, injury affected Gao Nuo's form."
.........
Four days later, in the second leg of the Europa League knockout play-offs, Gao Nuo still did not get a chance to play. Manchester United, in superb form, defeated Barcelona 2-1 at home to advance to the knockout stage.
On February 26, 2023, Manchester United and Newcastle United met in the England League Cup final.
Gao Nuo came on as a substitute in the 82nd minute. Thanks to goals from Casemiro and Rashford in the first half, Manchester United won 2-0, ending the team's five-year trophy drought.
This was not only Erik ten Hag's first trophy as Manchester United manager but also Gao Nuo's first trophy of his professional career.
Gao Nuo told Football Weekly in an interview, "It feels very exciting to win my first trophy. I enjoy playing for Manchester United, and I thank the fans for their love and support."
After a brief celebration, Manchester United began preparing for March's matches.
In the Premier League match against West Ham United, Manchester United continued their excellent performance, coming back from a 0-1 deficit at halftime to score three goals in the second half and secure a comeback victory.
Gao Nuo came on as a substitute in the 77th minute and played generally.
On March 5, 2023, a highly anticipated match of Premier League Round 26 unfolded at Anfield.
The much-anticipated Derby saw the Red Army Liverpool host the Red Devils Manchester United.
In the first half, Robertson assisted Gakpo for a goal, and at halftime, Liverpool led 1-0 against Manchester United. In the second half, Núñez scored two headers, Gakpo got a brace, Salah scored two, and Firmino added another. The final whistle blew with Liverpool winning 7-0 against Manchester United.
Gao Nuo did not get a chance to play in this match and spent a difficult 90 minutes with the team on the bench.
This was Gao Nuo's first experience of such a heavy defeat, and what made it even more difficult was the team's mental state. Sitting on the bench, the crushing defeat brought Gao Nuo a deep sense of powerlessness.
Post-match criticism was overwhelming, with Manchester United's performance in the final stages of the match being heavily scrutinized.
Fans could accept the team losing, but they absolutely could not accept losing in such a dispirited and disorganized manner.
After the match, Ten Hag took primary responsibility for the loss; his tactical changes and in-game substitutions were indeed highly controversial. The Manchester United players also accepted the fact of the loss, as the physical reserves of Manchester United, fighting on four fronts, were a major issue.
A 0-7 defeat made fans forget Manchester United's recent performances, even their recent League Cup victory.
Manchester United quickly adjusted their form. In the next four matches, they defeated Real Betis of La Liga twice in the Europa League, drew with Southampton in the Premier League, and beat Fulham in the England FA Cup to advance to the next round.
Currently, Gao Nuo is the one feeling down in the team. With Antony's return to form, Sancho's comeback, and Wout Weghorst earning Erik ten Hag's trust as a center-forward, Gao Nuo has not had a chance to play in 5 consecutive matches.
Since entering the first-team squad, Gao Nuo has made 10 appearances in total, with 4 starts and 6 substitutions, scoring 5 goals and providing 7 assists. From the statistics, Gao Nuo's performance has been excellent, yet his slump in three consecutive matches quickly led to a loss of playing time.
Recently, Gao Nuo has also stopped
playing
with Neymar in the system space, diligently continuing his technical training.
Early this morning, Gao Nuo, who had trained all night, had just woken up.
"System, I feel like my training hasn't been effective lately. Let's check my attributes."
"host: Gao Nuo, 19 years old.
Height: 192cm, Weight: 90kg
Ball Control: 13
Passing: 11
Shooting: 11
Positioning: 12
First Touch: 11
Strength: 13
Stamina: 12
Speed: 16
Explosiveness: 16
Willpower: 18
Comprehension: 13
Decision Making: 11
Concentration: 17
Maximum attribute value is 20. Other attributes are currently hidden attributes."
Gao Nuo looked carefully for a while, frowning deeply: "These attributes, they haven't increased at all in the past two months?"
"Yes, the host's attributes have entered a stable phase. After evaluation, they will remain at their current values for a long time."
Hearing the system's mechanical voice, Gao Nuo panicked: "What do you mean by stable phase? Why can't they increase? Is this my limit?"