The he said, she said, back-and-forth between Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood and Barcelona executives would be funny if they were not talking about the best young talent in the Premier League.
Hill-Wood started it off this week when he said that Barcelona have assured Arsenal that they will not table a bid for Cesc Fabregas this summer. Hill-Wood was quoted as saying:
“There was a private conversation that took place in the boardroom and assurances have been made at the highest possible level,” Hill-Wood said. “Arsenal do not expect those to be broken. I was not privy to the conversation, but was told about it. They said to us they are not interested [this summer]. It was a recent conversation, as recent as the time that they played us in the Champions League in fact as we got a bit upset because of all the media speculation. Subsequent to the conversation, if they are interested at any time in the future, they would come to us direct. However I’m not sure they are going to do that, because they told us they are pretty happy with what they have got and are pretty happy with their current players.”
However, Barcelona’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain has denied that such an agreement took place. The Portugese daily Abola quotes Begiristain, saying that if Barcelona decide that Arsenal captain Fabregas is “necessary” for the side, then they will try to sign him.
“At no time did we say we would not try to hire Cesc Fabregas “, said Begiristain.
So who knows if this conversation actually took place or not. Regardless, any agreement it probably meaningless as Barcelona’s current board could be replaced in the summer with Barca President Joan Laporta having to give up his position. Whoever is going to run Barca next year will want to sign their own players.
I expect the pressure to continue to come from Spain over the summer as they increase the pressure on Fabregas. Earlier this week Messi was the latest Barcelona player to talk about Fabregas eventually returning to Spaina, while Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol and Pique have all made similar comments over the last 12 months, while outgoing president Joan Laporta talked of him having ‘Barca DNA’.
Fabregas is under contract until until 2014 and Wenger is adamant that Cesc is going nowhere this summer saying:
“Do you want to see the length of his contract?’ Players at the end of contracts can sign where they want but, with the players who are under contract, we decide on their future. We are not under any financial need, we are well managed and that gives you one luxury in that you can decide about the future of your players. Some people are specialists at making players unhappy. I cannot stop them talking in Spain. But all of the players who have left here wanted to return.”
If Fabregas is wearing an Arsenal shirt next season it is because he thinks he can win as many trophies at Arsenal as he can at Barcelona. That means that Wenger has to buy big this summer, that Wenger needs to show stability at the club by extending his contract and the ownership issues need to be taken care of.
Do you think that Fabregas will be playing for Arsenal or Barcelona next season?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Wenger is reported to have said that” he doesn`t care who owns the club as long as they don`t interfere”. He may have said it but I find it hard to accept. He has a year to run on his contract and this will have some bearing on Fabregas`s future. Unless the situation with new ownership is completely untenable I expect both to be at Arsenal next season. I do agree that Wenger will have to put his philosophies on the back burner for a while and let cash do the talking.
They can bid until their face turns green, if City comes with a bigger bid, which they will, they can kiss Cesc goodbye for a very long time to come. And i really do hope we sell to City just to set an example. Barca can sleaze and tap up as much as they want. they will still loose out in the end.
but reading post like this, arsenal fans almost “wanting” him to leave you cannot blame the lad. If i had to read blogs like this about my self all the time. Bloggs saying “he has no loyalty, all he cares about is trophies, he rather sit on the bench for Barca and win trophies than to be captain for ARsenal” I woudl bloody leasve to!
I would say ” get lost Arsenal supporters, yo uasked for this!” you never put any trust in my integrity!”
So if he leaves it is very much bloggers like yours fault! It is completley on your head!
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