Barca finally make real bid for Fabregas, get shut down

Arsenal Football Club have today released the following statement about Cesc Fabregas:

"Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas is under contract with the Club until the summer of 2015. He is a highly-valued member of the team and part of our future plans.

"We have followed recent speculation linking Cesc with a move away from the Club but as there has never been any official approach for him, only two informal exchanges, in which we made it abundantly clear that we have no interest in transferring Cesc, we have refrained from publicly passing comment. However, yesterday evening we received an offer from Barcelona for Cesc and in response, we immediately and resolutely told them once again that we have no intention of selling our captain.

"To be clear, we will not make any kind of counterproposal or enter into any discussion. Barcelona have publicly stated that they will respect our position and we expect that they will keep their word."

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-turn-down-barca-offer-for-fabregas

 

[video=youtube;ssC77hapv0g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssC77hapv0g[/video]

 

with pics like this I hope he NEVER leaves.

 

"Barcelona have publicly stated that they will respect our position and we expect that they will keep their word."

This line is such an ass-kicker. If Barca make another push they will look totally disingenuous (which obviously they are in spades).

 

They have no credibility now.

 

Barca are doing their best to make it common knowledge that he's asked out, but if he did, Arsenal would be willing to sell him. Since they aren't = he hasn't. Either that or he has asked out and Arsenal has told him no.

 

His dad would probably like him to come home but has mostly said he wants what Cesc wants. Cesc has not really said what he wants other than to say he isn't thinking about a move right at this moment. It would be good if he came out and said he didn't want to leave Arsenal but there are two reasons why he wouldn't. The first is that it might disappoint his Spanish fans and possibly hurt his standing on the national team (though I hope they aren't that petty). The second is that it gives him tremendous bargaining leverage if he goes back to the table with Arsenal, who reportedly are willing to make him the highest paid player in Arsenal history at 150k a week or more.

But it works both ways. If he wanted to leave he wouldn't say so because that would drive his price down and result in less money for Arsenal (a tactic Barca has been clinging to for months). That would be a dishonorable way to leave the club--ensuring they don't even get full value out of him. Also it would really irritate his English/Arsenal fans. So he's kind of stuck with having everyone else talk for him.

I think if he came to Wenger and demanded out of Arsenal the club wouldn't have just come out and said they won't even entertain the notion of him being sold. That is beyond hardball, that is something Arsenal can't go back on later. That leads me to believe (very strongly) that he will remain a Gooner.