"Cesc is the spirit of this team, he is our captain and a fantastic player.” – Manuel Almunia
Cesc Fábregas has certainly come a long way since he arrived in North London in the summer of 2003. Then a bright-eyed 16 year-old Catalan eager for a first-team opportunity, he was just one of a number of promising youngsters brought into the Arsenal academy. His start was as expected; following the Wenger blueprint by making his debut in the Carling Cup. However, fate conspired that the 17-year old would make a staggering 46 appearances in only his second season, quickly establishing himself as a vital part of a record-breaking Arsenal side that lifted the 2004/2005 F.A Cup. Not only has Fábregas’ reputation and ability moved on considerably since he arrived as understudy to the ‘Invincibles’ of Henry, Vieira, Bergkamp and Pires but so has his club. Just as the midfield playmaker has grown to be a figure of world-class ability and world-wide admiration, so Arsenal have declined.
‘You’ve got no silverware’
Fábregas experienced success in his first season as a regular, alongside those Invincibles that surely stood as one of the greatest club sides in the world. Although this season still promises much, Fabregas could be on the verge of a fifth barren season, with Arsenal not even coming close to a major trophy in the last few years. The nearest they have come to a trophy since that dramatic afternoon in Cardiff was the 2006 Champions League. Fabregas was the key midfielder as Arsenal reached the final, only to lose to his boyhood club Barcelona. For a player considered amongst the best, this is surely not enough.
Pep talk
The dream of any young boy brought up in Catalonia is to don the Blaugrana shirt and grace the Camp Nou turf. Fabregas is no different. Ever since he arrived in England, Barcelona have lurked in the Emirates shadows; not to spill the beans on Watergate but biding their time, ready to pounce when the time is right. The stories never have and never will go away. However, their appeal to Fabregas has only been strengthened in the past two years. As Arsenal’s trophy cabinet gathered dust, Barcelona’s unprecedented success in 2009 meant they needed an extension. Their six trophies in one year coincided with the appointment of legendary midfielder Josep Guardiola as manager, a man Fabregas described as “my footballing hero when I was small”. If Fabregas is to leave Arsenal, now would seem a logical time.
Captain Fabtastic
After Patrick Vieira departed Arsenal for Juventus in 2005, Arsene Wenger had to decide upon a new captain. Then, with rumours abound that star striker Thierry Henry was also looking for a way out, Wenger gave him the captaincy. Though this was in part thanks to his vast experience, it was also surely a bargaining chip in convincing the Frenchmen to put pen to paper on a new contract. Last season, after the William Gallas controversy, Wenger once again had a captain to find. What better way to ensure Fabregas stayed for at least a little longer than grant him that honour? So, Fabregas now finds himself, at 22, one of the youngest captains in world football. This could be a very astute move by the Arsenal boss. Not only has Fabregas proved an influential leader, but the player has himself admitted that ‘My role as captain has increased my commitment to Arsenal’. Whereas Fabregas may previously have been able to leave for Barcelona this summer with his morality and commitment not in doubt; bemoaning a lack of silverware and the need to return to fulfil his destiny as a Catalan, the captaincy means he will now feel an added responsibility to help guide the young side through this season and possibly the next few. While it would still be understandable to exit the Emirates if Arsenal fail to win a trophy this season, there is also a sense that Fabregas should repay the faith shown in him by Wenger, who made him a regular at 17 and a captain at 21, by remaining in North London. There is also a sense around Arsenal at the moment that they are on the verge of something great. Le Professeur’s ambitious project to procure young talent from across the globe and let them grow together from a young age is approaching its high noon. With Fabregas as its poster boy, Project Wenger’s potential success could be torn to shreds by his departure; would he really do that to the man who gave him his chance in football?
Three’s a crowd
If Fabregas is considering a move to La Liga this summer, perhaps he should consider this first. Barcelona already have two diminutive, wonderfully gifted playmakers in the centre of their midfield, both of whom are products of their academy La Masia, like Fabregas. Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez came fifth and third respectively in the 2009 World Player of the Year votes. Fabregas is unlikely to displace either of the two and Guardiola’s liking for a defensive midfielder in the shape of Yaya Toure or Seydou Keita would make that role unlikely. His only realistic chance of acquiring a starting berth would be if the versatile Iniesta is moved to the left-wing. However, Barcelona are also rumoured to be chasing Valencia’s David Silva for that position and though the aforementioned Henry is struggling wide, youngster Pedrito has displayed an eye for goal and an appetite for the big occasion.
So despite all Barcelona’s posturing, now is probably not the best time for them to splash vast amounts of money on a player unlikely to command a starting berth. For Fabregas; it seems inevitable that the call of Barcelona will eventually be too loud to ignore. But at 22, he still has his whole career ahead of him. It is probably right that he should repay Arsene Wenger with a few more years and who knows; the way Arsenal’s youngsters are improving he may eventually leave them in a blaze of glory; remembered not just as a wonderful midfielder and captain, but as a great man who was strong enough to resist the urge of his homeland in order to help provide the silverware that he, the club’s fans, and his mentor, so yearn for.