Fabregas: I'm staying! Arsenal captain finally speaks up
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Cesc Fabregas: I'm staying! Arsenal captain breaks silence to begrudgingly confirm he won't quit for Barcelona
Cesc Fabregas has broken his silence to begrudgingly commit his future to Arsenal.
The Spain midfielder admitted that he dreamed of re-joining Barcelona but conceded he was powerless to make the Gunners accept a bid.
Arsenal rejected a £29million offer from Barca in early June and Fabregas has given up hope of going home after revealing that a second formal offer had also been knocked back.
You lose! Wenger (left) watches his captain train at the Emirates on Thursday
Reports in Catalonia today say that the champions of Spain were preparing one final approach, but Fabregas insists that he is now only thinking about the Gunners.
He said: 'Firstly I would like to apologise to all the Arsenal fans for not speaking sooner about my future but I have not known what I was going to do until this moment.
'I cannot deny that joining a club like Barcelona was not an attractive move for me.
'This was the club where I learned my football, it is my home town where my friends and family are and a club where I have always dreamed of playing.
'There are not many players in the world who would not want to play for Barcelona.'
The only Barca shirt he'll be wearing this year! Spain team-mates (from left) Pepe Reina, Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol embarrass Fabregas after the country's World Cup triumph last month
The 23-year-old told his manager Arsene Wenger before the World Cup that he wanted to go to Barcelona, but the Frenchman remained steadfast in his intention not to part with a player who was still under contract for five more years.
Fabregas said: 'I have had many conversations with Arsene Wenger both in person and over the phone over the last few months and although the content of those conversations will remain private, the conclusion is that Barcelona have had two formal offers rejected by Arsenal.
'I am a professional and I fully understand that it is Arsenal's prerogative not to sell me. I owe a lot to the club, manager and the fans and I will respect their decision and will now concentrate on the new season ahead with Arsenal.
Emirates idol: Fans show support for Cesc at Thursday's open training session
'I can assure all the fans that now the negotiations have ended I will be 100 per cent focused on playing for Arsenal.
'I am an Arsenal player and as soon as I step out on to the pitch, that is the only club I will be thinking about.
'I am looking forward to the start of the season and putting this speculation behind me.'
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tat our captain :D Dont really like to see that picture cesc on barce shirt and worst thing is what wrong with reina? what does barce and cesc got to do with reina really dun like this kind of people. but nvm cesc is still our captain for now
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ok so arseanl get to keep fabregas for one more season...or until barca come out of pok kainess...which they could do by starting to find a sponsor....even villa has abandoned the charity on the shirt stunt...
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Originally posted by DemonFox:
tat our captain :D Dont really like to see that picture cesc on barce shirt and worst thing is what wrong with reina? what does barce and cesc got to do with reina really dun like this kind of people. but nvm cesc is still our captain for now
reina was the so-called 'MC' for the celebration, he was talking to cesc then suddenly pique and puyol rushed out with that shirt.
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So his father is more important than his hometown afterall
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Barcelona Have Been 'Completely Disrespectful' To Arsenal Over The Cesc Fabregas Saga - Bob Wilson
Barca cannot afford the midfielder, says legend...
Arsenal legend Bob Wilson has slammed Barcelona as being "completely disrespectful" with regard to the chase of Cesc Fabregas.
The Gunners' skipper has long been linked with a move back to the club of his youth, and has in the past admitted that Barca would be his destination if here were to leave north London. In the meantime, the Catalan club have led a public pursuit of the midfielder, with calls from several players from the Spanish giants' fold urging the 23-year-old to join their ranks.
It had previously been reported that the Gunners had rejected a £29 million bid from the Spanish side to acquire the services of their star, and Wilson is consequently dismayed with the entire saga - insisting that Barca currently do not have the financial muscle to prise Fabregas away from his current employers.
"I think they have shown complete disrespect throughout the whole episode," Wilson told reporters.
"They know as well as anyone else that if you are going for the best players in the world then you have to have respect and the bottom line of Barcelona's situation is that they can't afford to buy him for what he is worth.
"He is worth a minimum of £50m and Barcelona are struggling financially."
Now, however, there have been reports of Barca pulling out of the chase and looking at secondary targets, and Wilson believes that the World Cup winner will still give his best for Arsenal.
"I don't think we need to tell him that everyone at the club loves him," he said.
"He has a second father at the club in Arsene Wenger and I think Arsene will be able to get his head around the fact that he is an Arsenal player and not a Barcelona player.
"This season, he is going to lead us to something big." -
gd that he staying
