The Premier League season concluded, and Manchester United's first League title in a decade became a hot topic among fans.
Neither the new owner's excellent transfers nor Erik ten Hag's coaching talent sparked as much discussion as Gao Nuo's extraordinary performance.
As a China Team player, Gao Nuo's record-breaking Golden Boot and Premier League title officially cemented his place among the world's top-tier strikers.
Looking back at the entire season, Gao Nuo made 40 appearances for Manchester United across all competitions, scoring 35 goals, with 29 goals in 34 Premier League appearances.
Arsenal, who narrowly missed the title last season, still lacked some luck and once again finished as League runners-up.
Haaland's injury not only cost him the Golden Boot but also impacted Manchester City, causing fluctuations in their overall performance, ultimately placing them third in the League.
Liverpool's rebuilding progress was slow, and Klopp pulled out all the stops, with the team finishing in 4th place, finally regaining Champions League qualification.
West Ham United lost in the final round, ceding fifth place in the League to Tottenham Hotspur; next season, both teams will participate in the Europa League.
The Chelsea Football Club remained under a cloud; after a season of struggle, they finished 7th in the League, and Pochettino's position as manager was precarious.
After participating in a series of club celebrations, Gao Nuo prepared to start his vacation; as his reputation grew, his value also soared.
He had just received a new contract from Manchester United, and before Gao Nuo could respond, an uninvited guest arrived at his home.
Jorge Mendes, a prominent football agent, also knew about Gao Nuo.
In Gao Nuo's first season at Manchester United, Mendes, like most European agents, didn't believe he could go much further; considering the China Team market behind him, he had offered Gao Nuo a contract, but Li Qiang had already arrived in Manchester City at that time, and Gao Nuo politely declined Mendes, after which the two had no further contact.
This sudden visit surprised Gao Nuo; after a polite greeting, Mendes followed Gao Nuo into the living room, and after sitting down, a few pleasantries were exchanged.
“Gao, your performance this season was outstanding; I've regretted my previous decision for a long time.”
“Mr. Mendes, you exaggerate; you have many big names under your wing, and I'm not yet comparable to them.”
“Haha, Chinese humility is fully evident in you. Look at your year: Asian Cup, English League Cup, Premier League – three championship titles, and you're the newly crowned Premier League Golden Boot winner. That's enough for me to come and visit you personally.”
“Thank you for the compliment; if you'll excuse my directness, I don't want to waste your time, so let's get straight to the point.”
“Haha, I like your straightforwardness. Then I'll be direct: Real Madrid is very interested in you, or rather, they have always considered you a transfer target. I'd like to hear your thoughts.”
“Mr. Mendes, I have an agent. Although he's not as famous as you, I think you should contact him about this matter.”
“Gao, I won't beat around the bush. I think you should consider signing with me. You should know that compared to that amateur Li, my influence is much stronger. As long as it benefits your growth, I can arrange for you to join any club. Your weekly salary should be at least 200,000 euros, and you don't have to worry about endorsement contracts; they will definitely be at a price you're satisfied with.”
“This… I'm sorry, Li Qiang is a very important person to me, and I have no intention of changing agents.”
The pleasant atmosphere became somewhat awkward; Mendes's expression was calm, showing no emotion, but the sudden silence made Gao Nuo realize that the mood of this big agent was certainly not good.
After a few breaths, Mendes reached for the water glass on the table, his face returning to a relaxed expression, and he continued, “Alright, alright, I respect your decision. Since I'm already here, why don't we talk about Real Madrid?”
Gao Nuo was quite indifferent; he didn't care if he offended Mendes. With the system by his side, he had reached this height in just two short years, which was enough for him to believe in his future. No matter how famous an agent was, they couldn't stop him from becoming a coveted target for various giants.
“Mr. Mendes, I'm very sorry, please discuss this with my agent. You should know that my vacation has started, and I need to pack, so I may not be able to continue hosting you.”
Mendes could no longer control his expression; his face was somewhat gloomy. He had already lowered his stance and given Gao Nuo enough respect. Since 2004, very few people had treated him with such an attitude.
Gao Nuo looked at the man in front of him, somewhat puzzled as to why he could still maintain his composure. Gao Nuo wasn't foolish; if not for Mendes's overly dismissive expression when mentioning Li Qiang, he wouldn't have been so disrespectful to the other party. There was no other way; Li Qiang was too important to him. Looking down on Li Qiang was looking down on Gao Nuo.
Mendes really wanted to leave, but if he didn't owe Carlo Ancelotti a favor, Gao Nuo wouldn't have been able to make him feel so wronged.
There was another period of silence, and Mendes simply stood up and left. His pride prevented him from saying anything more. As for Carlo Ancelotti's favor, he would find another opportunity to repay it later.
After a rather unpleasant interlude, Gao Nuo carefully reviewed Manchester United's new contract. The general terms were as follows:
5-year contract,
155,000 euros weekly salary,
8 million euros signing bonus,
10% annual salary increase,
18,000 euros per goal bonus.
Indeed, as Mendes said, the value of the contract Li Qiang secured was somewhat low. However, for Gao Nuo, Manchester United Football Club was where his dream began, and this held special significance for him. After much consideration, Gao Nuo chose to renew his contract.
After receiving the news that Gao Nuo had completed his contract renewal, Erik ten Hag breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he wouldn't have to consider a center-forward option for the new season.
With the trivial matters handed over to Li Qiang's team, Gao Nuo returned to Shudu. He only had 3 days to spend with his family, as two more matches awaited Gao Nuo in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, second round group stage.
After winning the Asian Cup, the China Team had good luck, being drawn into a group with Iran, Lebanon, and Yemen. Due to scheduling issues for the first four group stage matches, Coach Sun directly ordered that Gao Nuo not be called up to the national team, determined to allow Gao Nuo to develop better, which, of course, paid off.
Under the leadership of Jankovic, the China Team played with confidence, achieving 3 wins and 1 draw in the first four rounds, temporarily leading the group and having already qualified.
On June 2, 2024, Gao Nuo reported to the national team. After a week of training, two low-pressure matches would be perfect for Gao Nuo to gain more international experience.