"That much?"
"Forty-five million?"
Even Leo Lin himself could hardly believe it. Yet right there on the latest Transfermarkt valuation update, his market value was clearly listed at €45 million.
In the same post, Transfermarkt—together with UEFA—provided a detailed explanation of how the valuation was assessed.
Leo Lin: Market value €45 million.
Assessment:
"His age of 18 provides a significant boost.
Despite his youth, he has shown remarkable maturity in the Premier League. Although he has not made many first-team appearances, he has consistently demonstrated outstanding potential.
At the same time, his strong performances across different competitions add considerable value."
The explanation made it clear: Leo Lin's age and the potential he had already shown were his biggest advantages.
What impressed the valuation analysts even more was that Leo Lin had performed well in different competitions. That kind of consistency is rare. Different tournaments come with different levels of intensity and atmospheres, and excelling across all of them speaks to strong adaptability and long-term stability—both highly valued qualities in modern football.
Barnett smiled in satisfaction, leaned back in his chair, and lit the cigar in his mouth. It was the first time Leo Lin had ever seen Barnett smoking a lit cigar.
"I never thought it would be this high," Barnett said.
"Take a look at the reaction online. It seems I'm not the only one who wants to see you win the Golden Boy."
"Reporters will definitely ask you about this new valuation," he continued. "When dealing with the media—especially journalists from French football circles and The Sun—try not to answer pointless questions."
"Be careful with your words and actions. Get through the Golden Boy voting period safely."
Leo Lin nodded, stood up, and gave Barnett a light pat on the shoulder.
"Do you really think I can win the Golden Boy?"
Barnett smiled.
"Of course."
"I've never been this confident."
The news spread rapidly online. While some fans supported the €45 million valuation, most of them were Liverpool supporters and fans already backing Leo Lin.
Rival fans—Manchester United supporters in particular—quickly began voicing their doubts.
United fans were especially active. Under almost every post mentioning Leo Lin's €45 million valuation, they were the first to comment, chasing attention, driving traffic, and stirring the pot.
"If Lin is worth €45 million, then Martial must be worth €90 million!"
"If Lin is worth €45 million, then Liverpool's 'traitor' Sterling should be worth €90 million!"
"We always knew Barnett was powerful, but who knew his hands had already reached the Transfermarkt rankings!"
"So these days, any young player who plays decently can be priced this high?"
…
Comments like these flooded the internet. Manchester United fans naturally didn't want to see Liverpool produce another superstar.
After all, United and Liverpool are sworn enemies. Their rivalry runs deep, and football has long become a way for fans of the two cities to vent their emotions.
Back when they had Martial, United fans often sang a chant:
"We've got money, we've got Martial,
And Liverpool have got nothing."
Now, with Leo Lin's sudden rise, many United fans simply couldn't accept it.
Barnett had been worried that all this criticism might affect Leo Lin's mindset. But when he went to Leo Lin's room on the morning of September 16, he found him lying on his bed, playing a football video game.
"Damn it, this trash game designer!"
"If you can't even get the celebrations right, get lost and let me do it!"
Barnett sat beside him, eating a sandwich, and suddenly felt that coming over had been completely unnecessary.
The guy in front of him was casually gaming, even finding the time to curse at the developers—clearly unaffected by all the noise outside.
Leo Lin quickly figured out why Barnett had come.
"The second round of the Champions League group stage is coming up soon," he said.
"Don't worry, Barnett. I'll make those guys shut up."
Leo Lin had indeed been affected—but the effect was positive, not negative.
Barnett looked at him and sensed something unusual about the young man in front of him.
Confident, but not arrogant. Calm, yet still carrying the vitality unique to youth.
On September 18, the third round of the EFL Cup kicked off, with Liverpool fielding a fully rotated lineup.
Since the time of Professor Wenger, the EFL Cup—an extra domestic competition unique to English football compared to the other major leagues—had gradually become a stage for developing young players.
Klopp started four academy youngsters, facing a relatively weak League Two opponent.
Liverpool's rotated side won 3–1 and comfortably advanced to the fourth round.
With all the starters fully rested, Liverpool turned their full attention to the second round of the Champions League group stage, where their opponent would be Shakhtar Donetsk.
September 21, pre-match tactical analysis room.
"Everyone expected Shakhtar Donetsk to finish bottom of this so-called 'Group of Death,'" Jim Beglin explained.
"But they thrashed Monaco 3–0 in the opening round, which immediately drew a lot of attention."
"Shakhtar showed strong attacking power and aggressive pressing in that match. Their style is actually quite similar to Liverpool's."
Over the past few days, Klopp had repeatedly emphasized the same points in training:
"We have to be at our best."
"We must respect opponents like Shakhtar. We have to win."
"From the very first minute, we need to get into the game and play our football—wing attacks combined with high pressing."
"We must dominate transitions and crank up the intensity. Don't give Shakhtar any room to breathe!"
After detailed analysis, Klopp and Krawietz both concluded that Shakhtar's tactical approach really did resemble Liverpool's.
When two teams with similar styles collide, whoever plays at a higher tempo and greater intensity will take control.
September 21, 8:00 p.m. CET.
Anfield.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the second round of the Champions League group stage is about to begin!"
"Let's first take a look at the starting lineups."
"Shakhtar Donetsk line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation."
"Goalkeeper: Pyatov."
"Defenders: Ismaily, Rakitskyi, Kryvtsov, Butko."
"Midfielders: Fred, Stepanenko, Taison."
"Forwards: Bernard, Ferreyra, Marlos."
"Defensive midfielder Fred has drawn a lot of attention, with rumors linking him to both Manchester clubs."
"Liverpool, under Klopp, line up in a 4-2-1-3 formation."
"Goalkeeper: Mignolet."
"Defenders: Robertson, Lovren, Matip, Arnold."
"Midfielders: Leo Lin, Emre Can, Henderson."
"Forwards: Mané, Firmino, Salah."
"Fans, the big match is officially underway!"