Now before I begin, let me just state for the record that while everyone predicts Cesc Fabregas should be leaving Arsenal for Barcelona, I wouldn’t disagree with that notion particularly because of the interest the Catalan giants have shown in Cesc over the last two years with the backing of multi-million pound bids and his Spanish team mates draping a Barcelona jersey over the diminutive Arsenal playmaker when Spain won the World Cup last year. Cheap tricks, but that’s what happened. And… the fact that Fabregas looks like he has his heart set on a move to the Nou Camp. But, I will try my best to be pro FABREGAS-FOR-ARSENAL and to find reasons as to why Arsenal should protect their investment and more importantly, convince Cesc that Arsenal is the place to be at, as they continue to build a team for the future.
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| No! You da man! |
Arsenal signed young Cesc from Barcelona itself, in 2003 while he was just a sixteen year old. Right then, on a pitch amongst the Henrys and Vieras, we knew he would develop into a world-class player in no time, if he already wasn’t one. He showed maturity beyond his age when it came to picking out a pass for his forward line. He tackled to win back possession supremely and still make something out of it and go on the offense. He thrived on the big stage at Highbury and it was no real doubt that Cesc Fabregas was the one who would probably carry on the torch for Arsenal as time only passed by and the senior players would also eventually, leave.
So why would Wenger want to sell his most influential player? You can argue that with all that’s going on in the press, the Barcelona players propagating a move for the Barca born playmaker to make a return back to his hometown, the fact that Cesc does look like he may have outgrown his contemporaries, and the never ending speculation to lure him away from Arsenal, that Fabregas should be leaving for the good of his team and himself. It may well be the best thing for everyone involved – that is, if Arsenal receives a bid worth considering.
But there are reasons as to why Arsene Wenger must protect his most prized asset as well. For starters, if Arsene was any kind of good manager, he would want to keep his player for as long as he could – at any cost! He knows his midfielder brings a quality of decisive passing to his team, whether it is in the middle of the pitch or the final third. Him, paired with Samir Nasri Jack Wilshere could only be a good thing for Arsenal. That would be a midfield worthy of striking fear into any opposition’s defense.
It however maybe true that Wilshere , although very talented at the age of 18, still needs a little more time on the pitch to fully realize his potential. But that will happen. He shows promise. Can Wenger hone it though, remains to be seen. Nasri has emerged as a major player for Arsenal last year and a lot of Arsenal’s future success highly depends on whether they can resist giving into Barcelona’s offers – arguably the best team in the world - a team that would bring back the kind of challenge that Fabregas needs once again, to be one of the worlds best in Fabregas’ interest, a promise he once showed in his formative years as an Arsenal teenager, and what I can only assume to be a lot money of course for the one of the hottest prospects in English and World football.
The man who matters most here is Arsene Wenger. Only he alone can convince the player he once saw with tremendous potential to see out his future at the North London club. The way I see it is that if Wenger can make buys that show conviction – more than promise, because promise isn’t good enough anymore since it’s the lack of trophies that are currently withstanding the test of time, then he may successfully retain his current captain’s services.
The one thing Arsene Wenger needs to do is make an emphatic statement when he signs a new player. A name. An investment. An acquisition that will reassure Cesc Fabregas that it is with Arsenal where he will fulfill his dreams of winning trophies because, lets face it, Cesc deserves better, and while he may and probably will achieve success at Barcelona being the side they are right now, he still has a lot of respect for his coach, his fans, and his team. That doesn’t come along very often in today’s exorbitant market where players are looking for the bigger move. That’s the only thing going for Arsene Wenger and he should exploit if fully.
Were Arsenal to lose him, they would find a replacement. You move on in football and teams have done that before. But it would definitely be better for Arsenal if he chose to stay back. It’s crunch time for the Club as a whole. Nasri’s contract renegotiation talks, a couple of speculative bids for Juan Mata and Alvarez along with Gervinho - stating that he does want the north London move. This summer is crucial for Wenger. Only time will tell. If all this can be resolved, it might prove to be a year for Arsenal fans to actually look forward with any remaining hope that they can win a trophy this year.
