Could the signing of one man ultimately lead to the return of another?
Despite Barcelona remaining adamant that Cesc Fabregas is not for sale, reports continue that Manchester United won’t give up…seemingly until either the Spaniard reports them from stalking or the transfer window slams shut.
And yet if David Moyes refuses to ignore the quotes from the Catalan club, he would do well to listen to someone a little closer to home.
Earlier this month, when United first bid for the player, his former boss Arsene Wenger said the following:
“We have the (first option) clause in the contract so we would be on alert but at the moment that’s not something we’re after.
“At the moment, Fabregas has decided to stay one more year in Barcelona. Unless he has changed his mind, I don’t know…but that’s what I’ve been told.”
Arsenal fans will be familiar with the quote. In many ways it put a full-stop on any Gunners’ move for the 26-year-old not because they didn’t want him back, but because they didn’t want him back yet.
If Wenger was right in his belief that Fabregas would spend at least one more season trying to oust the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta from the Barcelona starting line-up, then they could rest easy he wouldn’t suddenly be rocking up at Old Trafford.
Assuming Fabregas does indeed remain at the Nou Camp for the next 12 months, the same argument (among non-Arsenal fans at least) will remain.
Why would a player desperate and able to win trophies return to a club that habitually falls short?
Why would Fabregas go back to the Emirates while Arsenal’s domestic rivals regularly beat them to the major prizes?
Well what if they didn’t? Not anymore.
What if Wenger has a plan not just for this summer, but next summer, too? And the pursuit of Luis Suarez – the sudden ability and willingness to spend huge sums on potential catalysts – is both a short term solution and a longer term hypothetical “welcome home” mat for Fabregas.
Because if Wenger does manage to bring Suarez to the club, Arsenal will suddenly have a player with the ability to both inspire a repeat of their former success and demonstrate to potential new arrivals that the Emirates is a viable platform for the best of them.
Of course it is all ifs, buts and maybes. But such is the way with pre-season; hypothesis reigns supreme.
And yet Suarez’s arrival at the Emirates would bring more than just goals, it would bring a potential new age for the Gunners. Because while United struggle to sign anyone, and possible new players wait to see how Moyes does in his debut season, suddenly Wenger’s experience and loyalty are selling points in themselves.
Perhaps Fabregas will never return to Arsenal, and perhaps both parties are happy with that. But if the Gunners do pull off a major signing or two this summer, and if success follows, they may not have seen the last of the Spaniard.
Can you see Fabregas returning to Arsenal one day? And do you agree the Suarez signing would be a catalyst for greater things to come?
image: © Ronnie Macdonald
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
