Chelsea & Bayern Munich after Gregory van der Wiel; Puyol urges Cesc Fabregas to make the switch to Barcelona
Chelsea and Bayern Munich have both been after Gregory Van der Wiel, but so far, neither of the two have been able to make solid inroads as far as getting the signature of the midfielder is concerned.
The Netherlands International has been estimated to be worth 20 million pounds by his club Ajax.
There was a strong rumour that the Dutchman was well on his way to Bayern Munich, but in the end the deal somehow broke down. A British newspaper, ‘The Sun’, published a report saying that Carlo Ancelotti has been looking to improve Chelsea’s defence, and is determined to sign the defender.
The former AC Milan manager has shown immense interest in defender David Luiz, who has been applying his trade in Portugal for Benfica. However, now he is believed to have focused his attention purely on van der Wiel.
Ajax also look interested in offloading the player, but have said that they will not make a deal until the estimated price is met.
Turning attention once again to the longest transfer saga of this year – Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas’ expected move to Barcelona: After various teammates of the Spaniard from the national team tried their hand at convincing him to come back to his youth club, now the Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has said that Fabregas should come to Barça, and this is the right time for him to make the move.
Fabregas had earlier expressed his desire to go back to Barcelona, but Arsenal is not willing to even listen to any offers. Puyol said that the attitude of the Gunners is unacceptable, and if a player is interested in making the move, he should have the freedom to do so.
Puyol said that Cesc would have to play another season at a club he clearly does not want to be in. The Barca captain said that it is never healthy for a team to keep an unwilling player in their side. He added that Fabregas had done all he could at Arsenal, and has learnt a lot from Arsene Wenger. Puyol said that in 7 years, Cesc has grown immensely as a player, but now it’s time for him to win some silverware. He said that it will be a dream move for the Spanish midfielder.
Arsenal has maintained their stance that their captain is not for sale, and all the noise made by the Barcelona management and the players will not affect Arsenal one bit.
The Spanish midfielder is currently on extended holiday following the 2010 World Cup win; he is expected to join the team next week. He will meet the manager and begin practice with the squad.
Puyol went on to say that Fabregas is completely within his right to ask for a move. The Barcelona defender said that manager Wenger is a senior man and should understand that he will be hurting Cesc’s chances of growing as a player if he keeps him at the Emirates Stadium.
The man who scored the winner in the World Cup semifinal said that Arsenal has not won a trophy in a number of years, and at the age of 23, Cesc is desperate to get his hands on silverware. Puyol said that Fabregas has done all he could to help the club achieve glory and soar higher, but this is as far as he can take them.
Arsene Wenger, meanwhile, has said that he has invested a lot of years in Fabregas, and now it’s time for the club to get the rewards of the hard work put into him.
Fabregas joined Arsenal 6 years ago and made his first team debut at the age of 17; he quickly emerged on to the scene when he scored his first goal. The teenager latched onto a long ball inside the opposition’s half; he controlled the ball brilliantly with his first touch and netted it in with the 2nd. When Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira left the club due to lack of trophies, Wenger looked to his youngster to step up, and gave him the arm band. The midfielder did lead the team with distinction, but still a lack of depth in the side restricted them to just 3rd position in the Premier League, and another trophy-less season went by. Now it seems like he will be staying with Arsenal for now, but do not be surprised to once again hear the same cries once the January transfer window opens.
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