Denilson slams Barcelona over Cesc Fabregas saga
Arsenal Football Club midfielder Denilson has slammed the conduct of players at Barcelona over the club’s relentless attempts to sign Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas. The 22-year-old has been riled by comments claiming Fabregas wants to return to Barca – the club where he learned he trade as a youngster before joining Arsenal in 2003 as a 16-year-old.
The Brazilian midfielder, who is currently out of action as he makes a recovery from injury, reserved his strongest criticism for Barca captain Carles Puyol. After Arsenal’s Emirates Cup win last weekend, he told reporters: "I don't believe what Puyol says – I believe in Cesc, because Arsenal has helped Cesc Fabregas a lot in his career, and I think that he wants to stay. The problem is that because everyone [there] keeps saying 'Oh, Cesc wants to go, Cesc wants to go' . . . then everyone here also starts to think, 'Oh, Cesc wants to go'."
'We need him'
Denilson is of the belief the his skipper will still be turning out for the north London club when the English Premier League season kicks off against Liverpool Football Club at Anfield a week on Saturday. He said: "I believe in Cesc Fabregas and this season he will be here to help us. We need him. He is our captain and he will help us a great amount this season. I haven't had a chance to catch up with him as he has been on his holidays, but we are expecting him this week and I will see him again in training."
Fabregas has been at the middle of the biggest transfer story this close season, with Barca’s continued attempts to enter into talks with Arsenal over the player’s transfer being continually knocked back by the EPL side. The summer-long saga began in May, after Fabregas revealed in a question-and-answer session that if he were to leave the Gunners for any club, that Barcelona would be his destination. Two days after his revelation, Barca players began publically stating their desire to see Fabregas return to the Camp Nou. Xavi was the first to do so, saying he would love to see his Spanish international team-mate join him at the Catalan giants.
'A similar situation'
Defender Gerard Pique said he had “a similar situation" after returning to the Camp Nou from Manchester United in 2008. Pique told The Daily Mirror in May this year that: "I am a Barcelona fan, I wanted to return and I am convinced that Cesc will come here. I am enjoying the best years of my life and my career here and I think that's why Cesc wants to come. He would fit in well. I found it impossible to resist a return to Barcelona. If he comes along with David Villa then we will have a team the envy of the world."
After the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where Fabregas was part of the Spain squad which won the trophy, Puyol told reporters that Arsenal were ‘depriving’ the player of moving to Barca and said: "Cesc is the future of Barcelona and Arsenal can't do anything to stop that. I have just spent six weeks with him and there is only one club he wants to be at."
In June, Barca had made an official bid of 35 million Euros for the player, but this fee was dismissed out of hand by Arsenal. Last week, the spokesman for Barca’s board, Toni Freixa, revealed that: “Arsenal don't want to sit down and negotiate with us. It's not a problem with the wishes of Cesc or of Barca - they simply don't want to negotiate."
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