The great Cesc Fàbregas debate rages on, fueled by idiots like me who tweet about it and write blogs about it.
Will he leave Barcelona ?
Do we want him ?
Do we need him ?
Is there a buyout clause-how much is it ?
Does Arsene want him ?
Would he disrupt the team spirit ?
Should we go for him just to stop someone else getting him ?
Would he “kill” Jack , Aaron, AOC or anyone else ?
Is he injury prone ?
Is he slow ?
And on and on and on go the questions.
Just like the Arense in/out debate, there is a full spectum of opinions. The fan base is divided .
Least we forget , this is a player that forced his way out of the club.
Arsene did not want to sell him and he had a long contract. The team had been built around him.
Arsene had trusted him to lead us forward in a very difficult time. He was key to the future of the team and the club. We were forced to sell him at less than the perceived market value. It was him who did the forcing.
At the time it was a crushing blow to everyone at the club.
He knew his importance . He knew the love the fans and staff felt for him, yet he forced his way out.
I don’t care a jot that he wanted to go home, win things and play with his mates. He let everyone who loves the club down. He chose to do that. Him, and him alone.
I care even less that he is savvy enough to bang on about his love for Arsenal, for me its just rhetoric. Its like a man who leaves his loyal and loving wife and goes back to his first love. Its poor form and he let us down.
He let me down, ! I was gutted .
Did he go on strike? I don’t know ! No one outside the club does. But I do know that Nasri played and he didn’t. Yet two days after he left he was playing with his first love, running around like a spring lamb.
Am I bitter? You bet your life I am !
However.
He is a fabulous player. He would be a huge asset to us now.
He could cover for Ozil and Ramsey(or alternate ,if you would rather) .
He would make us more dangerous going forward, score and assist as a given.
I believe that before he left he was the best player in the league, he was that good. He would be up there again I have no doubt.
Still, until the questions asked at the top are answered , its a redundant debate.
For the record though, if buying him did not adversely effect the purchase of players in positions that we have a greater need , I would be happy to see him back at the club.
My hypocrisy knows no bounds.
Positively Arsenal 
yes
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If Mr Wenger does not think it affects squad dynamics, then he will bring him back surely, given the opportunity. He would strengthen any team, Arsenal included. I trust the best decision for the squad and the club going forward will be made. My personal opinion is that if he is allowed/forced out of Barcelona then he will come, considering his relationship with the club and Arsene Wenger.
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Wenger brought back Sol Campbell and Mathieu Flamini so I don’t have a problem with him resigning Cesc…
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I was having a conversation with my Man Utd supporting relative and I said I considered Arsenal to have the second best squad in England after Man City, and then only because it was not as balanced in terms of different types of forwards. I told him to watch out because Arsene Wenger was building a beast. And he was so bemused he just dismissed what I was saying. The media narrative that Arsenal have a weak squad is so all pervasive that even my relative, who is someone who knows his football, cannot see the wood from the trees when it comes to Arsenal. But I suppose most Arsenal supporters cannot see it either.
Take the referee bias out and make it an even playing field – I know, ludicrous and will never happen – and this Arsenal team will be unstoppable. Add a little bit of something as ordered by the illustrious Arsene Wenger and even the dirty referees and media cacophony will not be able to tilt the scales far enough to stop The Arsenal. And adding a Fabregas will only make the team that much more unplayable. I want them to be unplayable.
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yeah i think its the best decision for wenger to brink him back and than get Benzema to finishes their passes as well
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Without hesitation. He is one of the three best midfielders in the world, and in an age when he should be on top of his ability. A nobrainer…
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In a fucking heartbeat……
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Excellent crystallization of all the issues, PG. The post really covers all sides of the question and the captures the contradictory feelings. I feel the same way and agree with your conclusion. But that is why I don’t see why it is raging as an issue. We have other priorities, but if it didn’t affect the ability to bring in top class replacements and new players in the two main positions I’d be interested in, I wouldn’t say no to adding such quality.
I am still enjoying our cup win, I have to say. The videos on Arsenal Player are terrific for supporters abroad. The joy is so great and intense–even AW was surprisingly emotional. It is wonderful for him, the players, the club, all the supporters. I love seeing the streets of Islington packed with such a diverse range of Arsenal supporters.
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I think he is a fine player and he would be the centre of many a midfield among a number of top clubs in the PL and in Europe who would benefit from his industry. I am sure he wants, and deserves, to be the first name on the team sheet wherever he goes for what, at 27, will probably be the last big move of his career.
He is however short, not particularly mobile, and generally I do not feel he has developed as a player since he left us.
Short and somewhat immobile we have and need no more ta very much. I do not see Cesc as adding anything new or unique therefore so on this occasion the answer has to be no.
I think he would be a perfect signing for the Salford club or even for LFC. He would stand a chance of startg regularly at both.
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i will take him back and think about your questions later!
fabregas is soooo good that even his stats is better than anyone in barca’s midfield. granted he made a mistake by going back to barca but to insinuate anything about him not being good is an injustice to what this blog stands for.
will he kill jack, ramsey or AOC? no. infact jack needs him more than arsenal. he comfirmed him as the best player he has ever played with. ramsey will play with him without any doubt.
the only player who has had same effect as fabregas in arsenal since the invinsible is ramsey. and i wil give anything to see them in the same line up.
was i bitter when he left? yes.
am i still bitter? yes
what can cure my bitterness against him? he should come back and play for us again without asking for inprovement on his current wage at barca which i was told is smaller than what he was getting here.
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for me like i did post some days back. head says he is a great addition and so in the mould of adding super super quality to the club as desired by AW… heart says NO, quite a whole lot of the reasons for this are already outlined above.
But the fact he lacked the MENTAL STRENGTH to stay when a team had been built around him, he was getting to his peak, club captain and all shows there is more to this than playing ability. As was pointed out – Nasri played even up to a day or 2 before leaving – that is being a professional see also sagna and Fabianski likely playing their last games but gave their all!
Has he matured and become less emotional, then why not, or else i fear for him coming to affect morale cos this team being arsenal have to do a little more to in games with ref and the world against us, Hope he is aware that that has not changed much cos at times i feel this lead to the leaving of players like Hleb and obviously Reyes and who knows maybe even RVP
While the bring back train is on the move, they can as well add Vela and Eduardo on board!
Then again, would he be an automatic starter? Who will drop for him, i think he has lost that right which was his if he had not left… these are issues that should be clear in his mind cos others stayed back and won us this trophy to remove this monkey from our back!
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@ layksite
Yeah well some concession on his part will definitely be nice! Less wagesa nd all that… If he can do it for Barca, he owes us more than we owe him especially for the way he left and the time too!
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If this was another player of similar talent and profile, we would chop a hand off to get him. So, Yes.
Some caveats:
He never sees the captain’s armband again.
He covers for Arteta AND as a false 9.
No more F1 trips.
Barca do the decent thing and sell him to us cheaply. (like that’s gonna happen!!)
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To cesc or not to cesc?
That is the question.
If AW decides he wants to create “THE UNPLAYABLES”, why not?
If there is that much cash to splash without going cheap on required essentials, do it.
If we must cut corners (i.e. Hold off on that 40m+ wonder CF) then bring back Vela as well @3.3m
Add Aurier, N’koulou and a 2nd GK.
Joel Campbell is world class waiting to happen.
Let go of Djourou, Coquelin, +/- Iggy.
Constantly rotate in Gnabry, Ryo, Akpom, Gedion & Benik, along with Sanogo.
Rotate the entire squad more efficiently till March Madness, and we could be lifting more than 1 trophy this time next year.
Remember its probably TR7’s last season.
We need to win a big one for Mozart.
Oh Luis Enrique would be daft to let go of Cesc.
But if they absolutely must…hey.
Available jersey numbers are: 2, 3, 13, 18, 23, 26, 27, 29.
…Hee-hee
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If he is to come back then I suspect it has been something that Arsene has been planning for a while, so he probably has a shrewd idea of how best to use him. Injuries would prevent this ever happening, of course, but if you knew that in every match you could play two out of Wilshere, Ramsey, Ozil and Fabregas then you would have some something to go to war with. But I think he would come into the greed rather than need bracket, so I suppose it all depends how much the club has squirreled away, not so much for a rainy day, but for that moment when you have the chance to do something extraordinary.
I am not so bothered by the loyalty angle. He was a young man (still is, of course) who had been with the club for a while. It was too early in his life to be tied up somewhere for ever, so I can understand why he maybe felt a claustrophobic need to stretch his wings.
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I’m torn as well – he was a favourite of mine and I was gutted when he deserted us in the way he did. We did not get half of his true value because there was only one club he was going to. But if the rumours of a buy back clause at a set price are true, I believe that Arsene would snap him up and make him fit the team if he was available. As usual, I will trust Arsene’s judgement as Cesc is an undoubted midfield talent and apart from having to rub off the Barca cooties, he would take less time to settle into a club that he knows well. However, I suspect this is all just pointless speculation and that he will not actually be leaving Barca anytime soon.
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PG, how could you?
According to the Barcelona hierarchy, who accompanied Cesc on his “homecoming”.
It was “confirmed” that the transfer fee “closed at €29 milliones”, half to be paid in August 2011 and the balance in September 2011.
The buyout clause is €200 milliones!!
Further payments were made by Barcelona to Arsenal, from the Barcelona Financial Accounts, the final transfer fee would be (with the 6 variables included), in the region of €40 milliones.
We now know that Cesc was under 24/7 surveillance in the summer of 2011, due to an extra-marital affair with a wealthy woman. The resulting divorce has given Cesc, a nice flat in London?
According to “se aferra a los 45 milliones de euros por Cesc”.
Now what was the REAL transfer fee?
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So I sent a post an hour ago and its nowhetre to be found. I absolutely detest smart phonology.
Summarizing, yes to bringing back Cesc. Don’t think Luis Enrique would want to lose him but da damn books need to be balanced.
In addition bring back Vela, add Aurier, N’koulou + a GK, and we could become THE UNPLAYABLES.
Let go of Coquelin and Djourou. Finally welcome in the potentially world class Campbell.
Groom harder the chosen young guns Gedion, Ryo, Gnabry, Akpom + Afobe.
Our shiny bright super voltron CF might just be a sum of many parts.
Not the popular method but more fun on the long run.
Arse.
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I’m happy to use the World Cup as a distraction from transfer tittle tattle.
–
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I am amazed that anyone on here would consider Cesc a useful addition to Arsenal on the basis of his indifferent form since he joined Barca
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A peripheral performer at Barcelona – I don’t understand why Cesc would somehow revitalise his sliding career in North London ?
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giroud scores for france!
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Giroud scores for France!
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Snap!
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anicoll4 – sometimes players need the right system to bring out the best in them. Cesc was at his best at AFC and if Arsene brings him back, he would only do so if he knew he could use him to the best of his ability.
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Anicoll, Cesc plays far better for Spain than he does at Barca.
I’d like the national team version, and to be fair life has been chaotic at the Catalan cunts for the last couple of years.
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Anicoll4
I see what you did there.
Smiley face. Hehe.
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“Giroud scores for France!”
yay for Oli G!
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If a deal could be worked out I wonder if he would join Spuds ?
They have to be behind Salford and LFC but I wonder
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The new Tottenham manager before his Southampton team lost 2-0 in North London, a very good game of football which Arsenal won!
“I have great respect and admiration for Arsène Wenger for what he has done at Arsenal.
“He has great charm and a very good identity, a very positive way of being a football manager. All you have to do is look at his background and see how far he has come.
“I am completely in awe of Arsène Wenger. The team we are playing against on Saturday is the team that are playing the best football in the league.”
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anicoll
cesc is not a peripheral performer for barca. he played more games than xavi and iniesta in the past two season. that the fans dont like him doesnt mean he is not good. his stats are better than the pair as well. remember many arsenal fans hate giroud now and want us to get benzema even though giroud’s stats are better than his.
same for ramsey last season. when you hate a player, you will anly notice his mistakes.
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remy scores as well. i prefare him to benzema. cheaper, sharper and fitter
and giroud gets his second!
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I don’t get the desire for Benzema? He does not seem like a significant improvement on Giroud on field and his off-field shenanigans make Giroud’s extra-marital indiscretions seem insignificant in comparison!
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I have no idea what the stats say Layksite – if he has started more games than Iniesta or Xavi – and probably Messi as he’s been injured fair enough
But
When I have watched CF since he had joined Barca he has never had anything like the involvement or influence he had in games for AFC
But for his link with Arsenal I would barely have noticed him
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The enthusiasm for Benzema has a lot to do with the fact he would be very very very expensive – ticks the main box for plenty of fans therefore
The bloke from Dnepropetrovsk is a third of the price
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I have yet to see Benzema show up
In a game. He is way over priced for what he is.
AC Milan players should be rope for the taking this summer, but perhaps
not mad Mario. He is just too much trouble to manage.
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barca’s way of play was designed for messi. even the great zlatan couldnt fit in.
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Next season the F Word will be playing closer to that No.4 area of the pitch for BBB as Xavi either winds down further or chips off to the MLS etc…
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I’d have him back in an instant. He’s loved at the club and Arsene knows his game inside out. He could play in the Santi, Ramsey or Ozil roles.
Other players I’d like to see at the club:
– Morgan Schneiderlin
– Serge Aurier
– Joel Campbell
– Non-lump who can play back up for Theo
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I’m not too crazy about Benzema either. The only draw for mw isa the fact that Ozil and him grew up playing at Madrid and would probably make a great partnership.
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I’m really curious to see what Arsene does this summer as clearly he wants more offensive power. Will he go for the obvious expensive options, or surprise us with the unexpected? It is harder to find the rough diamonds as everyone has caught up with the worldwide scouting and the Suarez saga last summer shows us how difficult it is to land even the expensive target, however much money you throw at it. Also, lest we forget, we have not actually qualified for the CL and that may have a bearing on our ability to attract the type of quality we need before the last week of the transfer window.
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I’ll try that in English.
I am not too crazy about Ozil. The only draw for me is that he and Ozil would probably make a good partnership, due to their history.
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Duh, Benzema.
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Fin, I hear Koke may be going to barcelona this summer.
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giroud scored two goals tonight, bot assisted by valbuena. yet someone from germany says ozil needs benzema to get better stats. what affected us was injury to ramsey and walcott. lahm get that into your thick skull.
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thanks for the wonderfully written piece.
best site on the internet hands down..this is truly a fan’s site..a true fan’s site
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happy for OG12…
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however.
i believe our midfield is set and ready to fire.
we need another striker..bringing back campbell might work.
giroud will step it up further next season hopefully too.
and for heavens sake pray for no injuries!
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Lots of rumours on the internet that Wenger I’d looking for genuine wingers like di Maria and Griezmann.
That would make me happy.
But the internet is also full of rumours that the moon landings were faked, that makes me sad.
Everyone knows a rocket ship would melt the cheese.
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Gains @9.51
Ooops! The F word could or can play in that tennish type role he played towards the end of his time at Arsenal and for Spain I guess, but I’m not sure I care…
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It’s not just the CL qualifiers. Arsenal will have to conduct at least some of their negotiations in the shadow of the petro-clubs. So, I’m guessing…that there just might, might, be a signing made late on amongst any others that might be made. Exactly the same as last season. For exactly the same reasons? As you were. At ease.
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