Premier League - Cesc 'optimistic' over Barca move

Wed, 29 Jun 21:07:00 2011

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has declared himself calm and optimistic as speculation rumbles on over his possible return to boyhood club Barcelona.

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The Gunners are understood to have rejected one cut-price £27million offer, but Barca are expected to return with an improved deal - offering a player exchange as a sweetener - for the Spain midfielder.

Speaking at a football campus in Tordera, Spain, the 24-year-old was quoted as saying in AS: "I'm calm and I am optimistic. I have nothing to say and there is nothing to speak of."

He added: "If something happens, it is because it has to happen. For my part, I've begun to get in shape, which is what I have to do."

"If a player is on the market it is because the club does not want him. I have no problems."

Arsenal have yet to make any official comment, as they did last summer, on reports regarding a return to the Nou Camp for Fabregas.

The World Cup winner is continually linked with a move back to his boyhood club during every transfer window. Last summer, the Gunners rejected a £30million offer for their inspirational skipper.

However, with Fabregas appearing more determined to rejoin the club he left as a teenager in 2003, Arsenal are said to be ready to allow the deal to go through, if the European champions improve their £27million bid.

BBC Sport earlier this week quoted a senior Arsenal official as saying: "The offer was made formally in writing to our chief executive (Ivan Gazidis), and we said no straight away."

When asked if the club expected an improved offer this week, the source added: "Possibly yes, and if it's enough then I expect we'll have to sell."

PA Sport

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  1. bit of a low blow comment there cesc....

    From mrcrocodilemr01, on Tue 19 Jul 5:15

  2. We will see what happens. This is not a matter of­ money, playing time..etc...etc... Its whether his heart­ is in Barcelona. Then he should go...cuz if not he will­ not be profitable for the Club his heart is not in­ anymore.

    From Jose Ma., on Fri 1 Jul 8:39

  3. fab-4,thanks for your time with us,i wish you the best­ though is painful letting you go...i love u! don't­ mind their comment is the pain of letting the best in­ England go.

    From tobby, on Fri 1 Jul 2:51

  4. fab-4,thanks for your time with us,i wish you the best­ though is painful letting you go...i love u! don't­ mind their comment is the pain of letting the best in­ England go.

    From tobby, on Fri 1 Jul 2:49

  5. ''If a player is on the market it is because­ the club does not want him''. Whom are you­ fooling son? Your interviews for the last 3 seasons all­ show you want to go but you are hesitant..

    From Half A Brain, on Thu 30 Jun 23:59

  6. Forget Real Madrid, he's catalan.
    For a proud­ catalan, playing for Madrid is blasphemy... like a jew­ playing for Nazi Germany.
    Who was the last catalan on­ Real Madrid's team? That would never happen.

    From Chris, on Thu 30 Jun 21:46

  7. He Is Off To Man U , Ha,Ha!

    From JONATHAN, on Thu 30 Jun 20:31

  8. can anyone explain why players sign contracts when they­ have no intention of seeing them through ? very­ disappointed in cesc, his loyalty to arsenal has been­ zero for a while now and why has he decide now is the­ time to get in shape ?

    From P, on Thu 30 Jun 19:34

  9. No Loss to AFC Rock on now samir !!

    From Gunner whatever !, on Thu 30 Jun 18:51

  10. What is all this Fabregas news? He should go even for­ 20 million Pounds and sit on the Barca bench. No doubt­ he plays well when fit but how long does he remain fit­ in an average season?

    From Gabriel, on Thu 30 Jun 18:06

  11. Martin move on

    From tricky, on Thu 30 Jun 18:02

  12. Martin move on

    From tricky, on Thu 30 Jun 17:59

  13. Christ, look at all the bitter gooners on here. ­ It's finally dawned on you that Fabregas was going­ to make good on his promise to go home? And to think­ of all that he's done for your club since he was­ 16. And all he gets is get called "creep",­ "clown", "traitor". Nice one.
    You­ lot really ought to look up the word­ "gratitude" in the dictionary. With fans­ like you, who needs tottenham? Tsk tsk tsk.

    From P, on Thu 30 Jun 17:38
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    What a pathetic excuse for a man he is. For the­ benefit of all concerned let's hope he goes,­ anywhere will do, and then we will not see his sad ,sad­ face again. Get a life son. Preferably somewher other­ than the UK. We like real men here. And while we are at­ it, let's hope that Arsene Whinger also departs­ these shores as he is from the same mould. Wouldn't­ want to be in a trench with either of these two.

    From Hillwalker, on Thu 30 Jun 17:30

  15. Some people are gettig mixed up on here...Barca never­ sold Cesc to us.We signed him as a 16 year old, we­ offered him his first professional contract, we got in­ before Barca did just like we have recently with­ unother player from Barca Torral.We had to pay Barca­ compensation as they had trained him through their­ academy.No way am i sticking up for Cesc or Barca, just­ reminding a few on here of how we got him.Now...i know­ it sounds like a kop out from Cesc saying if the club­ have put him on the market he has no problem.We all­ know Arsenal has finally been forced to do so.But­ atleast once he has gone there will be no more of this­ fiasco every close season.He is a Catalan, his heart is­ with Barca, no one forced him to sign for us 8 years­ ago, but he wants to go home.Unfortunately when you­ sign young foreign players from developed countries­ this will always happen.We all know he is worth double­ the money Barca are going to eventually pay, i think we­ can replace him with Wilshere, maybe Nasri if he signs­ another contract.But for me especially with this long­ running disruptive saga about to end, all i can say is­ to Cesc thanks and i hope the move works out.He may be­ a bench warmer for a couple of seasons but that is his­ choice.Never forget AFC, this club groomed you into the­ player you are today.Don't forget the fans either­ that from a most part stood by you and cheered you­ on.Good luck! We all knew this would happen sooner or­ later, lets just get over it and remember the best and­ more positive moments from him..

    From Danny, on Thu 30 Jun 17:26

  16. Get rid of the bloke. Been a disrupring influence for­ far to long! Will he get into the Barcalona 1st­ team!!! He was not in the Spain's 1st XI for the­ world cup final and that was without a Messi being­ around! Arsenal need two solid defenders and a­ defensive mid-field player. Contentiously I feel­ that Bredtner (wrong spelling) is a better player when­ Ces is not playing and is always capable of scoring­ goals. I think the lad need more of a chance, he's­ still very young. Please please keep Arsen Wenger in­ charge. If he goes Arsenal would spend the next 10­ years in mid-table.

    From The watchmaker, on Thu 30 Jun 17:19

  17. How can any self respecting Arsenal fan still want this­ clown to play for their team? Have a bit of pride! Sell­ him and replace him with someone who wants to play for­ the club.

    From Mark, on Thu 30 Jun 17:07

  18. Boring!!!!!

    From Alex A . SON OF THE LIVING GOD, on Thu 30 Jun 17:05

  19. sll fab but keep samir

    From Duncan, on Thu 30 Jun 16:53

  20. if fab wants to go let him at the end of the day he­ aint been much use to us for nearly 18 months, this­ season was his quietest.. because of last summers­ b@ll@cks.. do we really want to go thru another season­ of speculation about our captain...
    and 1 more thing­ can we please stop sellin our top players to­ baca....what have they givin us but headache...

    From Douglas, on Thu 30 Jun 16:47
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