Source: Daily_Mail
Cesc Fabregas is going home to Barcelona: all that's left is for Arsenal to agree a fee
Arsenal will demand £50million from Barcelona after captain Cesc Fabregas asked to leave yesterday following talks with Arsene Wenger.[LNB]The Spanish champions, who value their former trainee at £30m, believe the Gunners will cave in and release a player they signed for an initial £500,000.[LNB]But they underestimate the resolve of Arsenal, who will not be bullied into selling him cheaply. It is believed a deal may be reached at around £40m, but Wenger wants Yaya Toure thrown in. [LNB]Toure remains on Manchester City's lengthening wish-list, however, which further complicates matters. Wenger is ready to play hardball, even though Spain midfielder Fabregas wants a deal resolved before the World Cup.[LNB] Pastures Nou: Cesc Fabregas has had a brilliant spell with Arsenal but the lure of his hometown club has proved too strong to resist[LNB]Trophies won by Cesc Fabregas since joining Arsenal: one. Trophies won by Barcelona in the same seven seasons: nine.[LNB]The kid from Catalonia was always destined to go home at some time, but this time is the worst time for an Arsenal team still finding their way. Now their journey may have just become more difficult. [LNB]Not only do they have Tottenham closing in hard and Manchester City spending heavily, Arsenal may have to continue their struggles without their talisman. And, as Manchester United have discovered this season, losing your best player can lead to losing your foothold. Just like Cristiano Ronaldo, surely now Fabregas is on his way to Spain. [LNB]At least this way, it should mean there is no prolonged summer saga. He wants to go, Barcelona want to sign him...all that is left is for Arsenal to agree a price, when the official call comes in. [LNB]Close relationship: Fabregas will find it tough to part with Arsene Wenger, the man who has guided his early career[LNB]Barca, it seems, believe £30million is fair for a player born into theiracademy but developed by Arsene Wenger; a player who initially cost £500,000 when he came to England to make his debut, aged 16 years and 177 days. They will use the fee paid by Real Madrid for Xabi Alonso lastseason as a yardstick. [LNB]Arsenal, with good reason, will argue that if Aston Villa value James Milner at £30m, then Fabregas is worth at least £50m. They will haggle for a while but this is a confrontation even Wenger cannot win. All he can hope for is a decent transfer chest to rebuild. It's a reasonable demand of the Barcelona hierarchy. [LNB]Arsenal fans cannot surely hold this against Fabregas, who was last seen in an Arsenal shirt scoring and playing on with a broken leg against Barcelona in the Champions League. If his heart grew fonder for his old club that night, with their mesmerising football display, who can blame him? [LNB]Though he may be second choice in Spain's midfield behind two Barcelona players, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, Fabregas will take up the fight a little closer to home, if Arsenal get their price. [LNB]Yesterday he emerged from talks with Wenger having spelled out the reasons he wishes to leave. It must have been a difficult discussion with a coach he has grown to love. [LNB]Wenger does not intend to give up without a fight, however, and is clinging to the hope he can persuade Fabregas to remain at the Emirates for a least one more season. [LNB]An Arsenal spokesman confirmed Fabregas had met Wenger at Arsenal's London Colney training ground after having a fitness test to assess his recovery from a cracked right fibula. [LNB]CESC BY NUMBERS FIFA ordered Arsenal to pay an initial £500,000 when they enticed teenager Fabregas away from Barca in 2003[LNB] 50 goals scored in 269 games for the Gunners in all competitions.[LNB]Arsenal won 67 per cent of their games when their talismanic skipper was playing this season, as opposed to 45 per cent when he was sidelined.[LNB]15 goals this season at a rate of 146.2 minutes per goal. Of 63 shots at goal, 32 were on target.[LNB]His pass completion is 79 per cent - good, but some way short of the 90 per cent mark achieved by potential Barca team-mate Xavi.[LNB]1 trophy won in his seven years at Arsenal.[LNB]The spokesman declined the opportunity to reveal the details of the meeting and would only say: 'He (Fabregas) is our club captain and is on a long-term contract. We have received no approach and will not be soliciting one.' But they must know what is coming. [LNB]Outgoing Barcelona president Joan Laporta said: 'It is remarkable that the player has said that. If the technical secretary (Txiki Begiristain) believes we must make an effort, we will do and will talk to Arsenal.' [LNB]A compromise will need to be reached but, should a deal be struck, then there will certainly be a sense of symmetry to Fabregas's homecoming. [LNB]Former vice-president Sandro Rosell was largely responsible for negotiating the £1m in compensation Barcelona eventually received for their teenage prodigy in 2003, while there are rumours a first-option clause was also included. [LNB]Rosell is currently ahead in the polls to succeed Laporta at Barca and ironically, even though the pair have long since fallen out, the current president's parting gift to his former right-hand man could be Fabregas. [LNB]The move comes as Barca closed in on a £36m deal for Valencia striker David Villa. Club vice-president Rafael Yuste added: 'Negotiations are progressing well, especially in the case of Villa. The situation with Cesc is different, because even if you have the will of the player, it's important to talk to the club and if you can, find an agreement, but what makes it easier is that both players want to come to Barca.'[LNB]The potential capture of Arsenal's icon follows the tried-and-trustedmethod employed by both Barca and Real Madrid. The player in question is sounded out by the interested party and pressure is exerted on the intended target to go public on his desire to leave his current club. [LNB] Onlythen, when it simply becomes a question of how much, is a bid forthcoming. It was the method employed by Real president Florentino Perez to land Zinedine Zidane, it was repeated in their capture of DavidBeckham and it was the policy used by Barca to prise Thierry Henry awayfrom Arsenal. [LNB]Players will be dangled in front of Wenger to try to bridge the gap in valuation, just as Samuel Eto'o was used as thebargaining chip to land Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Inter Milan last summer. Ironically, Ibrahimovic could find himself in the same position as Eto'o 12 months on. [LNB]But Wenger, having landed Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer, is unlikely to be tempted by the Sweden striker, who has failed to live up to expectations despite being paid £150,000 a week. [LNB]Defensive midfielder Yaya Toure is a more viable option but with Wenger in the market for a new goalkeeper, two centre backs and an additional midfielder, hard cash is likely to be theonly thing that will interest the Arsenal manager.[LNB] Cesc Fabregas: The journey so far for Arsenal's Barca-bound captainJuventus ready to listen to Arsenal bid for Gianluigi Buffon - but new boss wants to keep him in ItalyCesc Fabregas bombshell: Arsenal skipper tells Arsene Wenger he wants to go back to BarcelonaARSENAL FC
