Cesc Fabregas - Barcelona Schoolboy to Arsenal Legend

Cesc Fabregas joined Arsenal as a 16 year old from FC Barcelona for a measly £600,000 in September 2003. At that moment, they knew he had the potential to become one of the best midfielders in the world, but nobody knew all the drama he would cause just 5 years later.

After breaking into the Arsenal team in 2004 after injury to Patrick Vieira, he began to make a name for himself as a playmaker and top prospect in world football. That season he won his first (and what turned out to be his last) trophy as an Arsenal player, when he started the FA Cup Final against Manchester United. 

When Patrick Vieira left for Juventus the following summer, Fabregas was given the Frenchman's squad number 4 and became a fixture in the Arsenal midfield. He made 49 appearances in all competitions that season, including starting in the defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League final.

On 24th November 2008, Cesc Fabregas was appointed captain of Arsenal Football Club. He succeeded William Gallas after a row about Gallas' leadership qualities. He wasn't able to lead the team to any trophies, but many said he was a great role model and a quality leader on and off the pitch.

SAGA BEGINS

On October 2nd 2009, Xavi started the saga which ended up lasting nearly 3 years. In an interview with El Mundo Deportivo, he said the now famous phrase "He is a football player with Barca DNA". A number of Barcelona players also made it clear they wanted Fabregas at the Nou Camp after that interview, including Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Lionel Messi and Dani Alves. Alves was actually quoted as saying;

 "Cesc wants to join Barca. That's what he has always said. I am convinced Cesc will join us". 

On 25th May 2010, Director General Joan Oliver claimed they had taken the first steps to bringing Cesc Fabregas to the Nou Camp and had made Arsenal aware that they were interested. On June 1st 2010, Barcelona made a formal offer to Arsenal of €35M. It was swiftly rejected by Arsenal saying;

"We have told them that we have no intention of selling our captain. To be clear, we will not make any counter-proposal and will not enter any discussions. Barcelona have publicly stated that they will respect our position and we expect them to keep their word".

After Spain won the World Cup thanks to a Fabregas assist and Iniesta goal, they held a celebratory party in Spain. La Masia graduates Pepe Reina, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique decided to play a practical joke on Fabregas by forcing a Barcelona shirt over his head.

After several more interviews from Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique as well as some higher authority from Barcelona, on 6th August 2010 Cesc Fabregas made a public statement committing himself to Arsenal for the forthcoming season.

"I can assure all the fans that now the negotiations have ended I will be 100% 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".

After yet more interviews from Xavi and David Villa, Sandro Rossell is quoted in an interview as saying

"Cesc's value is less than €40M".

After more interviews, a deal is finally agreed between the clubs in private. However Barcelona players Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol could not hide their excitement and leaked the deal on their respective Twitter pages. The deal included a non-disclosure clause and as it was broken, the deal was delayed until the following Monday.

Puyol: Welcome home! Happy to have you here @cesc4official

Pique: @cesc4official is already here!

During Barcelona's Super Cup game vs Real Madrid on Sunday evening, Arsenal confirmed that a deal had been reached with Barcelona for the sale of captain Cesc Fabregas. The deal is worth €39M, with €29M up front, €10M add-ons, split into two €5M payments. One of those €5M payments depends on Barcelona winning two La Liga titles and one Champions League trophy throughout the duration of Cesc Fabregas' initial contract with the Catalan club.

On 15th August 2011, Cesc Fabregas completed his medical and signed a 5 year contract at his hometown club. The contract had a €200M release clause installed, for a player who Barcelona constantly claimed was worth no more than €40M. Cesc Fabregas, was now home.

I caught up with 3 quarters of the Arsenal Report team, Joss Bennett, Ix Techau (Mantralux) and Matt Bonito as well as 15 Year old Gooner Sam to find out what they thought of the situation.

Q- Cesc Fabregas just signed for Arsenal for a reported £34M. When you heard it was official, how did you feel?

JB: It's difficult to describe how I felt, really. There's so much speculation flying about on twitter and such-like nowadays that I resisted the 'truth' for a long time (being that Cesc was eventually going to leave, and that Barcelona would ultimately have their way). Having said that, I think the majority of Arsenal fans had already got used to the idea of not having Fabregas and just wanted the whole thing to be over. Finally, it now is, and we don't have to listen to Xavi's comments every summer. At least not until Bellerin and Toral become good in 8 years time.

MX: The total fee is actually a £34m (€29m initial fee + €5m over the next 5 years + another potential €5m if Fabregas wins one Champions League trophy and two La Liga titles = €39m = £34m). I heard the sum fairly early on, and I was so prepared for it that I didn't really feel anything, I wasn't surprised.

MB: Given the crushing inevitability of it all, the acceptance came along pretty quickly. We all knew it was going to happen, so it was hardly a shock, but there was certainly a good deal of sadness that he’d finally gone. The most unfortunate thing about the timing of the transfer is that we never got to see the complete player with a full pre-season under his belt. The last time Fabregas had a summer off was 2007, when he was still just 20, having appeared in an international tournament every summer since, so it’s possible that Barcelona have bought an even better player than the one we’ve sold them.

15YOG: I was disappointed but such was the nature of the saga, we'd known it was coming for weeks so I'd already reacted to it, and hearing it was official just reaffirmed those feelings. Regret would be the main one - regret that we hadn't managed to keep him, regret that his time at the club hadn't been better. Wish he'd won some trophies with us so we could look back on his Arsenal career and see more than just great goals, assists and performances.

Q - What are your thoughts on the fee?

JB: What can I say? We've been completely ripped off. £34m is less than Liverpool bought Andy Carroll from Newcastle for. It doesn't matter that Liverpool clearly overpaid to get their man or that it was a last-minute deal - Fabregas is worth more than that anyway. Despite his injury record, and not having the best of seasons last year, I'd still say that in an open market, he's worth at least what Chelsea paid for Torres (£50m) and arguably closer to what Real Madrid paid for Kaka (around £60m).

MX: I think the fee is exactly what Barcelona wanted it to be, and I think it's insulting that our board accepted such a low offer for one of the top three central midfielders in the world. I think the board and the boss should be ashamed of themselves for letting such a player go for less than £50m. Our whole tactic was built around him, he was our captain, he's only 24, and he made more assists than Alves, Messi or Xavi in the last three years. Would Real Madrid have sold Zidane to his original club Cannes for £25m? Would Barcelona sell Messi to Newell's Old Boys for £20m? No, but somehow Arsenal are expected to just sell him for the fee Barcelona think is fair, just because the player wants to move. It's embarrassing.

MB: Having spent the summer hearing how Arsenal wouldn’t sell for less than £40 million, being told that we finally relented for £29 million was a huge disappointment. Selling a player of Cesc’s calibre for just a few million more than we sold a grossly overrated Anelka 12 years ago seemed utterly ridiculous. The fee smacked of Barcelona bullying tactics. However, as more details have emerged, it seems we actually got a reasonably good deal out of the transfer. A 50% sell is massive, and being given first refusal on any future transfer makes sense. That said, if he did ever come back to Arsenal, it would most likely be for one final hurrah towards the end of his career. The other bonus to come out of the deal was the agreement from Barca that they would end their pursuit of compensation for our two newest acquisitions from their academy, Jon Toral Harper and Hector Bellerin. Of course, it remains to be seen whether this agreement will prevent them from hounding us for the pair later on in their careers.

15YOG: Ridiculously low but we were practically bullied into selling for a low price. I just hope it's enough to bring in adequate replacements, and then some. He's a £50 million player in my eyes; in the current market at least, and I'm astounded that he's gone for the same as Andy Carroll. Granted, the situations were different, but still...

Q - After everything that has gone on in the last 3 years, what are your opinions on FC Barcelona as a club now?

JB: I used to respect Barcelona as a club. Their attractive football, world-class players and incredible battles with their arch-rivals Real Madrid. But over the past few years, they've been simply disgraceful. "More than a club" has become an ironic term that is used against them to prove their arrogance.  Even on the pitch, they've become a disgrace. They haven't had a red card for something like 2 years, and when you watch them play you realise why. Their play-acting and attitude in general means I now despise them as a club.

MX: I think the whole 'more than a club'-schtick has run its course, and there's really not much more to say. Sporting achievements aside, the club should have been penalised a long time ago for public tapping up and other questionable dealings off the pitch. And on the pitch as well to be fair, it's painful to watch all the diving antics.

MB: A lot has been written about Barcelona’s behaviour over the course of the Cesc saga, and my personal opinion of them is one that can’t be repeated in polite company. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Guardliola has remained largely silent on the subject, instead the ‘come and join us’ pleas have been left primarily to the players, thus absolving the club of any obvious tapping-up misdemeanours. In short, they’re a bunch of ungrateful gits.

15YOG: I'll be honest, I hate them with a passion. It's not just the way they've acted in forcing us to sell him, it's the playacting, the surrounding of the referee, and the "more than a club" nonsense. Their holier-than-thou attitude just grates so much with me, and it's even worse than the media fall for it more often than not. They're spoilt brats who are so used to getting what they want, they throw their toys out of the pram when they don't.

Q - What's your favourite Cesc Fabregas Arsenal moment?

JB: It has to be the solo run and finish against Tottenham in the 2009/10 season. I wasn't at the game, but I remember hearing someone read out the BBC Live Text from their phone and thinking they must have made a mistake when it was 1-0, and then suddenly 2-0. Then you watch it on Match of the Day and you're speechless. Everything about it was perfect - determination, dribbling, the finish, the celebration. I will never forget that goal.

MX: Definitely the goal against Spurs when he gets a hold of the ball just after a Spurs kick-off, dribbles through their entire team and places it in the left corner. I think most supporters would agree on that one.

MB: His penalty against Barcelona two seasons ago with a broken leg, and his brilliant solo goal against Spurs the same season spring to mind, but my abiding memory of Cesc in an Arsenal shirt was his firecracker against Milan in the Champions League in 2008. The goal itself was brilliant, but it was the celebration that ensued that has stuck with me the most. I can’t think of any goal in recent times that has been celebrated so passionately and vociferously by an Arsenal player, tears falling from his face as he embraced his manager and mentor. If anybody ever doubts Fabregas’ love for Arsenal, they need only watch a replay of that goal.

15YOG: Wow, tough one! I was perched on the East Stand when he scored that goal against Juventus, which was special. I also loved his long range goal against AC Milan, his penalty against Barcelona and his all-round performance against Blackburn. But if I was pushed, I'd probably say the Juve goal. That was the moment when he became my favourite player.

Q - Realistically, who would you like to see replace Fabregas?

JB: In terms of a long-term, direct replacement - it has to be Aaron Ramsey. He was so clearly meant to fill Cesc's boots from minute one. But whether he and Tomas Rosicky together can make up for his goals and assists already - even just his passing - is yet to be seen.  Realistically then, I'd like to see someone like Mario Gotze come in to help ease the blow. Germany seem to have a lot of good young play-makers - Toni Kroos is another one, Mesut Ozil another, etc. Obviously Ozil wouldn't be realistic, but I'd like for Wenger to investigate the German market a little more than he has done in the past. I'm a strong believer that Cesc's replacement this summer doesn't have to be as good, or better than him. Just someone who can rotate with or act as back-up to Aaron Ramsey who has a fantastic future.

MX:  I think Aaron Ramsey would be able to play in the 'Cesc role', but unfortunately Wenger has re-arranged the midfield setup this year to get more stability in the centre of the pitch. In my opinion we should keep going with last year's tactic, as we won plenty of important fixtures with it - Barcelona, Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City, etc. Sure, we lost quite a few important ones as well, but the wins indicate that the tactic wasn't the issue - player form was.

MB: I don’t think there is one player who can replace Fabregas. Juan Mata has been heavily linked, and as good as he looks, I don’t think he would fit into the Cesc role. Sneijder is out of question, given his wage demands, and there isn’t really anyone of Cesc’s calibre that doesn’t already play for Barcelona. I think the two players that are most capable of filling the gap left by our former captain are already at the club. Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey are undoubtedly the players around whom future teams will be built and I couldn’t be more proud that they play for the Arsenal. Their passing range, vision and composure on the ball (a lot of which they have surely learnt from Cesc himself) are practically unrivalled for their age group. It has been remarked that Ramsey is better than Cesc was at the same age, and with Wilshere’s undoubted talents (not to mention his much-needed-for-the-team bite in the tackle), we have a midfield partnership that can dominate for years to come.

15YOG: Mata would be nice! Someone who can control the tempo of the game maybe, a direct player who can find the gaps. Mata could be that player but we'll have to see.

Q - Robin Van Persie has been appointed as captain since Fabregas left, is that a good decision in your eyes?

JB: I'm delighted. Robin loves the club, and is a wonderful player. He's the perfect mix between Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp (although not quite as good!) and has been a loyal servant for the club since he joined in 2004. Vermaelen will be his vice-captain, so he can make up for the apparent lack of a "true leader" as the media seem keen to point out exists at Arsenal.

MX: Well, it's the most logical one, as he was vice-captain. However, I would like to see Wilshere taking that step soon, but it would mean demoting Van Persie, which would cause a problem.

MB: It’s a very good decision. Three of our last four captains have been given the armband in an attempt to prevent them leaving the club, so it’s good to see someone awarded the captaincy on the basis of their qualities as a man, as well as a player. Fabregas was a good captain, and it made sense at the time to award him the role, but he was never what we needed. Arsenal have always been associated with their bulldog spirit, and leading by example will never hold much sway at our club. Robin, alongside Vermaelen as vice captain, will give us something far closer to that than anyone else in recent years. Plus we all know they’re just keeping the armband warm for Jack. Since the departures of Fabregas and Clichy, Robin is now our longest serving player; he’s a Gooner and he has the club in his heart.

15YOG: Yeah, I'm one of the few who subscribes to the notion that the captaincy has more of an effect on the individual than the team. Essentially you'd want everyone to be a captain - for example, Thomas Vermaelen will be vice-captain, but I think that other than the official duties of a skipper he'll be basically another captain in our side. He'll still lead the team from the back as he would as captain. He's probably the captain of the defence, seeing as RVP can't do everything. It should help van Persie mentally though.

 

Q - Would you say Fabregas is one of the greatest players Arsenal have ever had?

JB: Absolutely without a doubt. He's behind players like Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Liam Brady and perhaps a couple of others, but there's not many better than him in the history of Arsenal. 

Alas I never had the opportunity to see Thierry Henry or Dennis Bergkamp play live in an Arsenal shirt so Fabregas has to be the best Arsenal player I've ever seen live. Overall, I'd say he's more than deserving of a Top 10 spot.

MX: I'd rather say he was the best player Arsenal COULD have had - we haven't seen his potential yet. Thierry Henry will forever be our best player, he was from another world. But Fabregas is definitely in the top 10.

MB: As I said before, I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Fabregas. For some years now, he’s been considered one of the best midfielders on the planet, and he’s still only 24. He’s suffered from the fact that he’s been the focal point of a largely unsettled team and left the club with only one major trophy to his name. He is, however, certainly one of the most talented players we’ve ever had at the club.

15YOG: Yes, without a doubt.

Q - Finally, a quick message to Cesc Fabregas?

JB: I can't really bring myself to wish him luck at Barcelona, but I hope it's everything he wanted. It sounds cheesy, and it is - maybe I should just say 'Thanks for everything. We'll miss you, and I hope you'll miss us'.

Even more apt would be what my old head-master used to say to us:

"Have a good summer - but not too good!"

MX: Not really. I wish him well, but I think this whole saga has not only damaged the Arsenal supporter's attitude to Barcelona, but also caused unwanted negativity surrounding the club. Fabregas is happy at his favourite club, but the fact is that if Barcelona hadn't dominated the fotballing world in the last couple of years, Fabregas wouldn't have requested a move. If his hometown was Villarreal, he would still be an Arsenal player.

MB: If I could say one thing to Cesc it would be to thank him for all he’s done for the club. I don’t begrudge him for wanting to go back home and I thank him for his commitment to the Arsenal cause.

15YOG: Thanks for all the amazing memories, if possible please succeed individually at Barcelona while the rest of the team is a shipwreck. Hope to see you back soon.

So we've reached the end of an era at Arsenal. 

303 appearances, 57 goals and 100 assists in 8 years. 

Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal legend.