Barcelona Want Fabregas Relationship
Barcelona want to develop a relationship with Arsenal midfielder, Cesc Fabregas, that would put them in a perfect position to sign him, according to the club's sporting vice-president.
The Spanish club's interest in Fabregas has not been kept secret and they have already had one bid rejected by Arsenal who insist they will not allow their player to leave.
However, this move seems to have been on the boil for a long time and it could now only be a matter of time before some sort of arrangement is reached between the two clubs. Josep Bartolomeu insists the club will work on a relationship with the player so the transition between clubs is easy when the move eventually happens.
There are many dangers to doing this sort of thing when a player is still contracted to play for another club. Because neither Fabregas or Barcelona will have Arsenal's best interests as the focus of their attention and it could impact Arsene Wenger's chances of success in the new Premier League season.
The Risks
The main risk that Barcelona are running is that they are going to alienate themselves from many clubs in the transfer market. Players being hounded and followed by various clubs is nothing new and it will happen further into the future.
However, Arsenal clearly want their player to be left alone. This is something that Wenger himself has stated and something that other officials from the club have stated. Barcelona suggesting an off the field relationship with the player suggests that they do not care in the slightest about the wishes of other clubs.
Bartolomeu said: "Relations exist. But we want them to be good. We are not in a phase of negotiation, only a phase of relationship building. Once we have done that, we will see if there is a chance to start negotiations to sign him."
Arsenal
It's very important that Arsenal try and hang on to Fabregas for as long as they can before Barcelona bully them to sell the player. This is because Arsenal have been taking a few steps backwards and forward over the course of the last few seasons.
Slowly but surely Wenger has been developing his current side and getting them to a position where they are stronger each season to fight for the Premier League and Champions League.
Fabregas is the Arsenal captain and probably the best player in the Arsenal team. When he leaves it will leave a huge gap in the current team and this will be a gap that Wenger will struggle to fill.
Barcelona should be going through Arsenal to get to the player, not developing some sort of off the field relationship with the player. This does not make the right impression and Arsenal probably should now make it as difficult as they can for Barcelona to sign their player.
Advice
You may well get a special bet on Fabregas to join Barcelona by the end of the summer. All of the factors are pointing in that direction and it is well worth a small punt.
There is no doubt that Arsenal's chances of success next season would be better if Fabregas stays at the club. However, don't bet on them to win the league because they will still lack the consistency even if they manage to hang on to their captain.
Fabregas will always be a candidate to pop up with a goal regardless of the club he plays for. Caution could be a good approach as you could back off and see how the Spaniard starts next season for his current or new team.
Tags: