Cesc Fàbregas focused on playing for Arsenal
After claiming that he wanted to leave Arsenal, to Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol putting a Barcelona shirt over his head, Cesc Fàbregas has now backtracked and claimed that he is “one hundred per cent focused” on playing for the Gunners.
The cynics will believe that this is because Barcelona were unwilling to stump up enough cash for his services, and they may well be right. However, despite Fàbregas’ desire to play for his boyhood club again, the central-midfielder is set to stay at the Emirates Stadium for at least one more season.
The Gunners rejected two bids from the Spanish giants over the summer for their captain, and made it clear that they weren’t prepared to entertain any offers for their prized asset.
And as a result of Fabregas’s eight-year deal that he signed back in 2006, the Spaniard has no other option but to grin and bear another season in north London.
The question over where Fabregas would actually slot into the Barca midfield was another issue. With the likes of Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets already in the team, fitting in the Arsenal captain wouldn’t be easy for Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola. And as a result of the fierce competition, there was no need to pay over the odds for him.
The breakdown between the two clubs has left Fàbregas in an awkward position. On his return to London yesterday, he was given a warm reception by the Arsenal faithful who had turned out for the club’s open training session at the Emirates Stadium.
And today, the Spaniard has issued an apology to the Arsenal fans, in a bid to sweeten them up before the new campaign gets underway.
"I owe a lot to the club, manager and the fans and I will respect their decision and will now concentrate on the new season ahead with Arsenal," Fàbregas stated.
The 23-year-old was part of Spain’s World Cup winning squad in South Africa and assisted Iniesta’s winning goal to clinch football’s most prestigious prize. Since then, almost every member of Barcelona’s squad has spoken to the media about their desire to play alongside him.
But Barcelona’s valuation of the player was far lower than Arsenal were holding out for. And as a result, this is one of the rare occasions where the club has had more say than the player.
Fàbregas will remain professional and give it all for the Premier League club this season, but this time next year, no Arsenal fan will expect to see him in the famous red shirt.
Tags: