Football Transfer Update: Barcelona Up Their Bid As Fabregas Commits To Arsenal
Fabregas finally had the long awaited meeting with Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger about his future. The two met at the London club’s training base last Wednesday, and judging from the way talks went, it was decided that the 23 year would remain with Arsenal, rejecting a move to Spanish giants, Barcelona.
Fabregas then made a presence at the training session, which was open to fans. He also appeared in the club’s official team photograph for the 2010-2011 seasons, which was an encouraging sign to Wenger. However, Fabregas has not yet given an official statement which would confirm his future.
The 7,000 supporters, who had attended the training session, all hope that Fabregas will release a statement which will confirm his future at Arsenal. It is believed that Fabregas’s agent, Darren Dein is working on the statement and it will be released shortly.
Arsenal, who have not made too many signings in the summer, are desperate to keep captain Fabregas. They assumed that he would stay, but after his public desires to join Barcelona, Wenger has had to convince him not to leave. The lengthy meeting between the two had objective, or so it seemed.
Barcelona can be very persistent, and are rumoured to have stepped up their bid to a £42 million. Despite Wenger telling Fabregas there was no possibility of Arsenal sanctioning a sale this summer, the constant interest might convince the Arsenal captain that the Nou Camp is the place to be for him.
Apart from losing his young captain, Wenger is afraid that the constant speculation could affect the other players and tried to resolve the deal before Fabregas returned. That was not possible though, until finally a meeting was arranged. Wenger was confident he could convince Fabregas to stay face to face, especially after Fabregas’s statements claiming Wenger was like a father to him.
With Fabregas expected to make his plans for this season clear soon, Wenger is hopeful Arsenal can focus on the upcoming season. He believes this is the year where his young squad, led by Fabregas will get results. He revealed that Arsenal were fully capable of taking on teams like Chelsea and Manchester United, who have far more senior and experienced players. He cited an example from last season, where the injury ridden Arsenal finished 3rd, ahead of Tottenham and Liverpool.
Even though Arsenal fans are pleased with Fabregas’s eventual decision to stay, there are some who criticize him for it. It is suspected that Fabregas made his desire to play for Barcelona, hoping the Spanish club would come up with enough money that it would be hard for Wenger to reject the offer. However, since things have ended up differently, with Barcelona not offering as much, Fabregas is stuck in a tight spot and he will now try and convince his supporters that his commitment is real.
Wenger hinted at Fabregas starting against Liverpool next Sunday, but confirmed that Fabregas and Robin Van Persie would be rested in their final pre season friendly against Legia Warsaw. This could mean that both the Arsenal stars could start on the bench in the important first fixture of the Premier League, against the resurgent Reds, who have been visibly strengthened by the arrival of Joe Cole and the commitment of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.
Other players who were expected to move to different clubs but didn’t because of one reason or another include, Fernando Torres. Torres makes top of the list, because sources revealed he was ready to sign for Chelsea, but he committed to Liverpool. His appearance in the World Cup was thought to play a part in his decision. Skipper Steven Gerrard was also on his way out, to Real Madrid. Only for Jose Mourinho, who had wanted the midfielder at Chelsea in 2005, claimed he was “too old” for Real Madrid. A statement after which Gerrard made it clear he did not wish to leave Liverpool. Last but not least, Mesut Ozil. He was the most impressive player in the World Cup and was being chased by Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal. He seemed to show interest, but in the end decided to stay with Werder Bremen for another season.
Tags: