CESC'S BARCELONA BATTLE

Both presidential candidates target Arsenal skipper

FABREGAS: Barcelona's top target

By Andy Dunn, 30/01/2010

BARCELONA will launch a Cesc Fabregas offensive on two fronts this summer - with BOTH presidential candidates putting the Arsenal midfielder top of their wanted list.

Outgoing president Joan Laporta has made June 13 election day for the Catalan club and that will give leading contenders a full month after the end of the domestic season to pursue Fab.

Not since 2003 - when Laporta was voted in having promised fans David Beckham - has the player a candidate promises to sign carried so much importance.

Sandro Rosell is the favourite to win the June vote and is expected to campaign on never having wanted Fabregas to leave in the first place.

Rosell was the club's vice-president in 2003 when 22-year-old Fab moved to Arsenal and it was the former Nike executive who travelled to North London to battle for a compensation package from the Gunners.

After a meeting with former Gunners vice-chairman David Dein, Rosell not only secured around £1m for Fabregas but an agreement with Arsenal chiefs that Barca would have first option on the player should he ever want to return to action in La Liga.

Current president Laporta cannot stand for re-election because he has already served three terms of office but he will back continuity candidate Alfons Godall.

And Godall will also make Fabregas the cornerstone of his campaign.

Laporta's reign has been characterised by making the Barca team as Catalan as possible.

They won the Champions League in style last season with a team full of home- grown players and Gerard Pique was successfully brought back into the fold after his spell at Manchester United.

If Godall can bring in Fabregas it will be seen as the final triumph of Laporta's seven years at the helm of the Nou Camp giants.

Your comments

This article has 17 comments

I ask when Fabregas goes to Barcelona where will he play.Barcelona should just leave Fabregas alone.

By Manyali Joseph.. Posted February 22 2010 at 3:47 PM.

am a gunners fan but to be confident that our ambitions matches cesc 's would lying to ourselves, he deserves better .Lets ship out Mr Wenger then maybe.

By lawrence Chinembiri.. Posted February 3 2010 at 10:51 AM.

As a Barca fan It will be great to see him back in the clubs colours, however, having said that where will he play?? At the moment the first team has in it's midfiled Iniesta on the left, Toure/Busquets in the centre and Xavi on the right, not to mention Henry, Keita and Pedro. What Im saying is Cesc will be battleing for a place in the starting 11 and yet we all know how talanted he is. Don't get me wrong I think he's great but in the case of Barcelona it's a matter of where he'll play if he does decided to back in the near future

By Ellen.. Posted February 3 2010 at 3:48 AM.

The only thing I am worried about is the rest of the Team. Even if they get to keep Cesc, what will they do with a mediocre team. Its time Arsene stepped on the gas; Arsenal belongs amongst the top clubs of Europe and I hate to say it is not quiet making the grade recently.

By Abhishek.. Posted February 2 2010 at 6:13 AM.

With the way Arsenal are playing, Fabregas is definitely leaving. Watch his body landuage during the last two games against Aston Villa and Man U, he is frustrated with playing with such useless players. He wants to win trophies, which he cannot see happening with the current Arsenal team.

By Gunner.. Posted February 1 2010 at 8:29 AM.

cesc is a great player for arsenal but lets all be sensible about this. if barca want him and are willing to pay £45m for him then he must go. we have ramsey just like we had cesc as a replacment for viera

By m. sheppard.. Posted January 31 2010 at 8:43 PM.

Honestly, footballing has nothing to do with ones originality, but then it's all about how much you can have great exubrance to the lovely game you play. Having said that Cesc, really enjoyed the ARSENAL WAY OF PLAYING, which of course is the best amongst the rest. Therefore, he gonna stay with THE GUNNERS for now and that's all.

By Arsenal number1 fan(gabou).. Posted January 31 2010 at 7:38 PM.

By Arsenal number1 fan(gabou).. Posted January 31 2010 at 7:41 PM.

Francesc is and will always be a visiting Catalan in Arsenal. If you know anything of Catalunya and it's culture, then you already know he will be a Barcelona midfielder next season.

By Joan.. Posted January 31 2010 at 5:11 PM.

cesc fabragas shud go 2 man utd n swap 4 berbatov..

By chris graham .. Posted January 31 2010 at 5:05 PM.

Cesc is going nowhere......these Spanish clubs are the pits. FIFA needs to sort them out once and for all.

By Sue.. Posted January 31 2010 at 3:26 PM.

Fabregas will never leave.
Good luck with that

By ate.. Posted January 31 2010 at 2:03 PM.

Fab belongs to Barca and they have a moral right to take back what was stolen from them. Wenger should take an 8,9 or 10 yr old french or English player and develop them into world class and not perpetually prying into other club's academy. Am absolutely certain that Fab would be a Barca next season.

By Joseph.. Posted January 31 2010 at 2:00 PM.

Fabregas will never leave.

By Damien.. Posted January 31 2010 at 11:50 AM.

i suggest arsenal not to sell cesc fabregas cause he is a high potential footballer and he will help arsenal to win the title.at last i hope wenger not to sell anyone cause all the player have their own special ability and potential.

By kimberlnn.. Posted January 31 2010 at 11:06 AM.

Arsenal are slow to react and it is about time that they will make both EUFA an FIFA to end the Fabregas affair because the Spanish clubs cannot continue to distabilse English team nearly every month.
CESC HAS REFUSED both R.Madrid and Barca and that should be the FINAL once and for all .
WENGER WAKE UP YOU ARE TOO SLOW

By A.Messina.. Posted January 31 2010 at 10:46 AM.

Am a Barca fan to d call,but i want Barcelona 2 leave dis issue of fabregas 4 now as not 2 disrupt d whole team.Let him come at his own wished time.

By sulaimon ariyo.. Posted January 31 2010 at 8:51 AM.

We have to check every comment before we can allow it to be published. But don't worry, we've got a team on it 24/7 - so check back soon! Please note that we cannot publish all comments received. The editor's decision is final. Please note that your email address will not be displayed next to your comment.