Fabregas will leave if Arsenal don't win, so are medals the new standard for loyalty?
Cesc Fabregas has reportedly admitted speaking to Real Madrid about a move back to Spain, but stated now is not the right time to leave Arsenal.
However, in a worrying warning to all us Gooners, the 21-year-old has stated that if the club goes for a fourth consecutive season without silverware, he'll more than likely be off, as his ambition is to win medals, not to be a part of the oh-so-near brigade that Arsenal have become in the past couple of years.
In a day and age where player loyalty is a dim and distant memory, Cesc has at least given us an insight into what he wants for his career and I can hardly blame him for wanting to create a legacy for himself.
The fact that he signed the longest contract in the Premier League a couple of seasons ago - tying him to the Gunners for eight years - doesn't actually mean that much any more. The whisper is that Arsene Wenger is trying to get Fab 4 to sign a new deal that would make him the club's top earner, but contracts mean very little these days and if Cesc decided he didn't want to play for Arsenal any more then the club could do very little to prevent him from moving on.
If the Arsenal can win some silverware this season, it would appear that Fabregas would be happy to stay and hopefully become the central figure in a team that would dominate the domestic game for a number of years. And if Le Boss has his way, then hopefully they could also dominate Europe.
Another season without a trophy and it sounds like Cesc will return to Spain, albeit for big money, but it's a worrying prospect for the Gunners, as I don't think he'd be the only one to start questioning his position in a team that isn't regularly collecting winners' medals.We're very spoiled at Arsenal these days. Us Gooners have become accustomed to winning things, as well as getting to watch football the way it's supposed to be played.
But another season with a bare trophy cabinet could bring about the end of an era, leaving - and I don't say this lightly - the great man himself, Arsene Wenger, in danger of being questioned about his qualities.
So what do you reckon? Is the current Arsenal squad capable of winning the Premier League this season? Or do you think the team might struggle and as a result break up when the 2008-09 season concludes? Share your thoughts here using our comments section
GM
Reader Comments (5)
Fair enough Cesc, I appreciate hi being honest about it and clearly stating his current standpoint. I think Cristiano Ronaldo could take a page out of his book. I think Cesc would like to stay at Arsenal for the forseeable future as everybody can see that we have a VERY talented squad but that is also unfortunately also VERY YOUNg. We musn't forget that Cesc has been with us for 5 seasons already and has only won the FA Cup. Our team should use this as even more incentive to make sure we win the league so that we can keep our star player. However sholud things not workout and Cesc does end up leaving next summer I still think we will be ok as we would have tons of money from his sale to bring in quality and more affordable replacemants. COME ON U ARSENAL!!! Bring the title to the GROVE!!!!!!!!
HEY DON'T BE STUPID IF ARSENAL SOLD FAB THEY WOULD NOT SPEND THE MONEY ON STRENGTHENING THE TEAM BUT WENGER WOULD BUY TW0 16 AND 17 YEAR OLDS FROM FRANCE. I DON'T THINK WE WILL WIN THE LIG THIS SEASON MAYBE FA OR CARLING BUT THE LIG PLS BE RELISTIC, WE ARE A SELLING CLUB PERIOD.
I dont mind whoever goes to be honest with you...If cesc wants to go let him go.I have always been against people who say that we need english players in our squad,now i am begining to see what they meant.Guys i am a foreigner in this land but i can see that u can't rely on foreigner as we have seen previously.....helb,reyes,adebayor,cesc all of them want to go and one has already left.Gone are the days when we had loyal players like patrick,berk,thierry and pires.I guess we need the like of simpson,hoyte,randall,and wilshire to step and take their posititons otherwise we might end crying after losing people like cesc who want to go back to their respectve countries
to be honest, I think contracts mean more than the article states. If next year he wants to leave he will still have 6 years left and if we just say no you arent leaving and thats that then theres nothing he can do. Look at what utd did and are now doing with Ronaldo. Some people may say well then cesc would start to be lazy and not play properly but can you really see that happening? Someone like Fabregas just throwing in the towell when he knows that he can conmpete for trophies and impress the world more and more with his football. I think that we should just say your not leaving and thats that (unless 50Million plus is offered)
For the truly great players, silverware has always been the standard. For EVERYTHING. Let the mediocre players without ambition languish mid-table or below, but it's not exactly a revelation that Cesc wants to win something, and if not with Arsenal, somewhere else. Cesc has shown his loyalty to the club time and time again, but he can hardly be faulted for wanting to win something.