Fabregas: Much ado about nothing» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
So, it's Friday now and we're still waiting for some sort of confirmation from captain Cesc Fabregas, manager Arsène Wenger or even Spanish champions Barcelona, on how this whole transfer drama would play out.
Let's get something straight first. This all started when some Spanish journalist who claims good sources within the modern game said that Fabregas had met with Wenger and demanded a transfer to Barcelona.
Demanded. Can you imagine Cesc doing that? We know that Fabregas met with Wenger, flew all the way back from Barcelona where he was receiving treatment, in fact. But it's not uncommon for employers to meet their employees, especially as that employee is still very much injured and has a decent chance of playing in a World Cup campaign next month!
And it's certainly not uncommon for a captain and his manager to discuss their plans for next season, especially when transfer deals have to be done quickly, before prices are inflated after a World Cup campaign.
The Barcelona transfer request story spread like wildfire around the Internet because it was so sensational and because lazy journalists needed something to write about and to sell papers.
We've gone from Fabregas demanding a transfer, from Arsenal being shaken by the request, to Arsenal having a strong hand because of Fabregas' contract, to Barcelona not saying anything except they are surprised by the reports, to Arsenal still waiting for an official bid from Spain.
And the story still goes on. There is now a need to stretch that story from earlier in the week. The journalists need to milk it as much as they can before we all catch on and realise, "You're talking shit... again."
And I'm getting texts, emails and tweets from connections within the game, journalists mostly, saying that this is one transfer war that will get ugly, and that Fabregas is definitely going.
Puh-lease. If he's going anywhere, it's to South Africa to play for Spain, but then he'll come back to the club he has repeatedly said he loves, his family loves, and honour his contract.
Barcelona are £420 million in debt, not taking into account the fees they have yet to pay for Zlatan Ibrahimovic (the world's most expensive striker), our own Thierry Henry and now David Villa, who they have just signed for £34 million.
Yes, they have sponsorship and TV deals, but it's still an astronomical debt, and how much do you think they can pay for Fabregas? We definitely won't let our captain go for £30 million, as claimed by said Spanish journalist with "good contacts".
Cesc is tied to the club until 2015, and any bid would have to start at a figure much higher than the reported £30 million figure.
Of course, it's worrying that the club haven't said anything. Or even Cesc himself. But what needs to be said? The story that started all this is a non-starter, and the British press have just cottoned onto it.
I prefer the manager to be focusing on sealing transfer deals before June, not worrying about issuing a soundbite every time someone writes "x demands transfer request, Arsenal shaken".
Cesc is not going anywhere, trust the man and our manager to do the right thing.
And remember, the initial reports also said that Fabregas would be a Barcelona player before the end of the week. That's this week, we're talking about.
Today, as I'm writing this, Fabregas is still very much an Arsenal player, and very much still our captain.
sos 
May 19 2010, 04:52 PM
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