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Spanish Inquisition: Is It Time For Barcelona To Call Off Their Chase For Fabregas?
Goal.com's Cyrus C. Malek analyzes whether Barca may have more pressing needs than the coveted Arsenal magic man...
| Bet: | Returns: | Barcelona £12.50 | Draw £55.00 | Valencia £85.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Barcelona £12.90 | Draw £55.00 | Valencia £95.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Barcelona £12.86 | Draw £55.00 | Valencia £100.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Barcelona £12.50 | Draw £57.50 | Valencia £110.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Barcelona £12.50 | Draw £55.00 | Valencia £84.50 |
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Aug 2, 2010 1:04:00 PM
By Cyrus C. Malek
It has evolved into one of the most melodramatic transfer soap operas in recent history. Barcelona's pursuit of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has dominated headlines this summer, but week after week, there appears to be fewer and fewer possibilities of a quick resolution.
Both camps have lambasted the other club; supposed "showdown" talks have produced more questions than answers; the clubs are playing down an imminent move but the Spanish and English press are trading rumours; and all the while, an emotional and confused Fabregas is caught in the middle of what looks more like an ugly parental custody battle than a transfer wrangle.
With Barcelona taking out a substantial credit loan of €155 million from a group of Spain’s leading banks, club president Sandro Rosell going so far as to acknowledge that without the loan Barca would have difficulty paying its players, coaching staff, etc., and Barca's vice-president of finance revealing that their financial health is not as robust as originally thought with the club facing a gross debt figure of €552 million, it seems that the prospect of a big-money move for Cesc Fabregas could suddenly become little more than a pipe dream.
The Blaugrana have still set aside a sum of €50 million for summer signings (of which €9.5 million was assumedly spent securing Sevilla wing-back Adriano, leaving €40.5 million at the Catalans’ disposal) and if the Gunners cede their captain for what would be a bargain price of €40 million, Cesc could yet be presented in the Camp Nou this summer.
But with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger unwilling to part with his young star (at least not easily) and with Real Madrid and Barca doing their part to hyperinflate the transfer market last season with the extravagant signings of players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema, Xabi Alonso, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the chances of Barca landing Fabregas for the 2010/2011 season seems to be getting more and more bleak.
Of course, there is the outlying chance that another team will find the financial freedom to take on Ibrahimovic’s €14.5 million annual salary and solicit Barca for the now-disgruntled Swedish striker who has been linked to nearly every major club across Europe. Such a transfer could potentially free up enough capital to allow Barca to make a mega-offer for Fabregas. But even assuming the Catalans are able to raise the necessary capital for a truly big-money offer or that Arsenal meet them at the negotiating table, should Barca even pursue Cesc? Or should they instead concentrate on landing players to strengthen other areas of the squad that are now in need of improvement?
In signing striker David Villa in the final days of the Joan Laporta reign, Barcelona have secured an average of 25.8 goals per season over the past five years; with the supporting cast at Barcelona, El Guaje only stands to score more goals this term (ruling out a serious injury, of course). With the Blaugrana’s first signing under new club president Sandro Rosell, Barca snapped up a jack-of-all-trades in wingback Adriano: a sublimely versatile player who brings even more pace to an already mercurial team.
But one position that Barcelona would do well to fill with a quality player would be the role the departed Yaya Toure occupied in defensive midfield. In his first press conference to begin the pre-season, coach Pep Guardiola went so far as to acknowledge the loss to the team suffered by the Ivorian midfielder’s transfer to Manchester City, and with the recently confirmed departure of centre-back/defensive midfielder Rafa Marquez, the only player Barca have as a true replacement for Toure is the World Cup-winning - but still prone to making youthful mistakes - Sergio Busquets. Seydou Keita also adds some muscle to the midfield, but the role he plays differs greatly from that of a traditional defensive midfielder.
Thus, although Barca may want Fabregas in a Blaugrana shirt come September if not for his extraordinary ability then to appease the Fabregas-hungry fan base, perhaps the Catalans would do better to assess the team’s needs and focus on signing a player that fills this stalwart role.
Talented Toulouse midfielder Etienne Capoue has been one of the names recently linked to the Camp Nou. Other players that have been mentioned in the instance that Barca are unable to secure Cesc's signing are Valencia's Juan Mata and Werder Bremen's Mesut Oezil. In Mata, Barca would find a true left-sided attacking player that would allow coach Pep Guardiola to make full use of his favoured 4-3-3 formation. In Oezil, Barca could potentially acquire one of football's most promising young stars... and at a bargain price at that. Oezil is in the final year of his contract at Bremen and this could give Barca valuable leverage, as the German club would be intent not to allow their prize asset to leave on a free transfer next summer.
Further mooting the need to spend big Euros on Fabregas this summer is the fact that Barca already have enough players in the inventive midfield roles. Andres Iniesta looks to be back in top form after capping a brilliant World Cup performance with an historic title-clinching goal and, after a summer in South Africa alongside chameleon-eyes Xavi, should be able to put on even more dazzling performances for his club.
Finally, the wealth of talent from the Barca cantera cannot be overlooked as such promising gems as Thiago Alcantara looks to be growing by leaps and bounds, most recently showcasing his immeasurable potential by leading the Spanish U-19 national team to the U-19 European Championship final in France, losing narrowly to the hosts.
So while Fabregas remains Barca’s “one that got away”, perhaps the time has come for the Catalan giants to realise that they may not need him after all - not at the moment anyway - and instead concentrate on remaining true to their model of developing their current crop of youth players and signing for need rather than splashing mountains of what has now become hard-to-come-by cash on superstars.
Perhaps Rosell et al. should consider filling roles that might help the club retain its dominance in La Liga (not to mention its financial health) and show Real Madrid that Jose Mourinho or no, they are still the best in Spain, if not the world.
Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal fans want Fabregas himself to come out and publically declare his loyalty to the Gunners, but it's clear that the playmaker is torn and forcing him to pledge his allegiance is not the right way to go. It's up to Barcelona to officially call off their chase for Cesc, for now at least, for the sake of the player.
Both camps have lambasted the other club; supposed "showdown" talks have produced more questions than answers; the clubs are playing down an imminent move but the Spanish and English press are trading rumours; and all the while, an emotional and confused Fabregas is caught in the middle of what looks more like an ugly parental custody battle than a transfer wrangle.
With Barcelona taking out a substantial credit loan of €155 million from a group of Spain’s leading banks, club president Sandro Rosell going so far as to acknowledge that without the loan Barca would have difficulty paying its players, coaching staff, etc., and Barca's vice-president of finance revealing that their financial health is not as robust as originally thought with the club facing a gross debt figure of €552 million, it seems that the prospect of a big-money move for Cesc Fabregas could suddenly become little more than a pipe dream.
The Blaugrana have still set aside a sum of €50 million for summer signings (of which €9.5 million was assumedly spent securing Sevilla wing-back Adriano, leaving €40.5 million at the Catalans’ disposal) and if the Gunners cede their captain for what would be a bargain price of €40 million, Cesc could yet be presented in the Camp Nou this summer.
But with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger unwilling to part with his young star (at least not easily) and with Real Madrid and Barca doing their part to hyperinflate the transfer market last season with the extravagant signings of players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema, Xabi Alonso, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the chances of Barca landing Fabregas for the 2010/2011 season seems to be getting more and more bleak.
Of course, there is the outlying chance that another team will find the financial freedom to take on Ibrahimovic’s €14.5 million annual salary and solicit Barca for the now-disgruntled Swedish striker who has been linked to nearly every major club across Europe. Such a transfer could potentially free up enough capital to allow Barca to make a mega-offer for Fabregas. But even assuming the Catalans are able to raise the necessary capital for a truly big-money offer or that Arsenal meet them at the negotiating table, should Barca even pursue Cesc? Or should they instead concentrate on landing players to strengthen other areas of the squad that are now in need of improvement?
In signing striker David Villa in the final days of the Joan Laporta reign, Barcelona have secured an average of 25.8 goals per season over the past five years; with the supporting cast at Barcelona, El Guaje only stands to score more goals this term (ruling out a serious injury, of course). With the Blaugrana’s first signing under new club president Sandro Rosell, Barca snapped up a jack-of-all-trades in wingback Adriano: a sublimely versatile player who brings even more pace to an already mercurial team.
But one position that Barcelona would do well to fill with a quality player would be the role the departed Yaya Toure occupied in defensive midfield. In his first press conference to begin the pre-season, coach Pep Guardiola went so far as to acknowledge the loss to the team suffered by the Ivorian midfielder’s transfer to Manchester City, and with the recently confirmed departure of centre-back/defensive midfielder Rafa Marquez, the only player Barca have as a true replacement for Toure is the World Cup-winning - but still prone to making youthful mistakes - Sergio Busquets. Seydou Keita also adds some muscle to the midfield, but the role he plays differs greatly from that of a traditional defensive midfielder.
Thus, although Barca may want Fabregas in a Blaugrana shirt come September if not for his extraordinary ability then to appease the Fabregas-hungry fan base, perhaps the Catalans would do better to assess the team’s needs and focus on signing a player that fills this stalwart role.
Talented Toulouse midfielder Etienne Capoue has been one of the names recently linked to the Camp Nou. Other players that have been mentioned in the instance that Barca are unable to secure Cesc's signing are Valencia's Juan Mata and Werder Bremen's Mesut Oezil. In Mata, Barca would find a true left-sided attacking player that would allow coach Pep Guardiola to make full use of his favoured 4-3-3 formation. In Oezil, Barca could potentially acquire one of football's most promising young stars... and at a bargain price at that. Oezil is in the final year of his contract at Bremen and this could give Barca valuable leverage, as the German club would be intent not to allow their prize asset to leave on a free transfer next summer.
Further mooting the need to spend big Euros on Fabregas this summer is the fact that Barca already have enough players in the inventive midfield roles. Andres Iniesta looks to be back in top form after capping a brilliant World Cup performance with an historic title-clinching goal and, after a summer in South Africa alongside chameleon-eyes Xavi, should be able to put on even more dazzling performances for his club.
Finally, the wealth of talent from the Barca cantera cannot be overlooked as such promising gems as Thiago Alcantara looks to be growing by leaps and bounds, most recently showcasing his immeasurable potential by leading the Spanish U-19 national team to the U-19 European Championship final in France, losing narrowly to the hosts.
So while Fabregas remains Barca’s “one that got away”, perhaps the time has come for the Catalan giants to realise that they may not need him after all - not at the moment anyway - and instead concentrate on remaining true to their model of developing their current crop of youth players and signing for need rather than splashing mountains of what has now become hard-to-come-by cash on superstars.
Perhaps Rosell et al. should consider filling roles that might help the club retain its dominance in La Liga (not to mention its financial health) and show Real Madrid that Jose Mourinho or no, they are still the best in Spain, if not the world.
Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal fans want Fabregas himself to come out and publically declare his loyalty to the Gunners, but it's clear that the playmaker is torn and forcing him to pledge his allegiance is not the right way to go. It's up to Barcelona to officially call off their chase for Cesc, for now at least, for the sake of the player.
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Goal.com Poll
Poll runs from Aug 2, 2010 to Aug 12, 2010
Poll runs from Aug 2, 2010 to Aug 12, 2010
Is It Time For Barcelona To Formally Call Off Their Pursuit Of Cesc Fabregas?
Yes, the transfer is going nowhere and it's affecting Fabregas
79.36%
No, Arsenal will eventually relent and sell
20.64%
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2/15/12
And with that, we're going to call it a night, folks.
We've had two tremendous matches today, so lets hope the intensity keeps up in the next clashes!
Until next time, this is LIVE commentator Stephen Crawford signing off.
From everyone here at Goal.com, thanks for joining us!
We've had two tremendous matches today, so lets hope the intensity keeps up in the next clashes!
Until next time, this is LIVE commentator Stephen Crawford signing off.
From everyone here at Goal.com, thanks for joining us!
2/15/12
All this focus on the Arsenal and Milan game should not take away from another cracker earlier tonight between Zenit and Benfica. The Russians came from a goal down to lead 2-1 in the closing minutes before Oscar Cardozo levelled things for Benfica, but it wasn't over there as Roman Shirokov won the game for Zenit in the 88th minute.
Here's the thoughts of Benfica coach Jorge Jesus, who felt his side deserved a point from the game.
Here's the thoughts of Benfica coach Jorge Jesus, who felt his side deserved a point from the game.
2/15/12
Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny bemoaned his side's luck tonight but refused to give up. Here's some of his quotes:
"They were the better team on the night and that's the story of the day.
"We have to keep fighting, pick ourselves up, get the confidence back and challenge in the other competitions and in the second leg of this tie too.
"They punished us on every occasion; they scored some quality goals and they deserved to win."
Full story HERE
"They were the better team on the night and that's the story of the day.
"We have to keep fighting, pick ourselves up, get the confidence back and challenge in the other competitions and in the second leg of this tie too.
"They punished us on every occasion; they scored some quality goals and they deserved to win."
Full story HERE
2/15/12
Another Milan player who was willing to share his thoughts after the match was Mark van Bommel, who has urged caution ahead of the second leg in London.
“The score made it look like it was an easy game, but it certainly wasn't.
(Strange... it looked pretty easy from where I was sitting, but hey.)
“I do not think it's over yet. I remember a clash between Milan and Deportivo la Coruna when Milan was also ahead by four goals, and in the end Deportivo eliminated Milan.
“I went into the Arsenal dressing room after the match to speak to Robin van Persie. I had agreed with him to swap shirts – my sons are big fans of his and he brought two for them. They will be delighted.
Van Bommel went on to talk about a possible move to PSV in the future, but was quick to point out his terms for the move.
“I've spoken with PSV, but we don't have an agreement yet. The club has to decide what they want.
“If Louis van Gaal turns out to be the new coach, I won't go.”
“The score made it look like it was an easy game, but it certainly wasn't.
(Strange... it looked pretty easy from where I was sitting, but hey.)
“I do not think it's over yet. I remember a clash between Milan and Deportivo la Coruna when Milan was also ahead by four goals, and in the end Deportivo eliminated Milan.
“I went into the Arsenal dressing room after the match to speak to Robin van Persie. I had agreed with him to swap shirts – my sons are big fans of his and he brought two for them. They will be delighted.
Van Bommel went on to talk about a possible move to PSV in the future, but was quick to point out his terms for the move.
“I've spoken with PSV, but we don't have an agreement yet. The club has to decide what they want.
“If Louis van Gaal turns out to be the new coach, I won't go.”
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Next up is the Milan maestro Clarence Seedorf. He only managed 12 minutes on the pitch, but watching from the sidelines he was delighted at how his team mates had dominated the game.
"Tonight everything went in the right direction and we did a very good match. You don't start a match thinking to win 4-0, but at the end i think we deserved it coz we played very well."
"Tonight everything went in the right direction and we did a very good match. You don't start a match thinking to win 4-0, but at the end i think we deserved it coz we played very well."
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