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| [photo by Ronnie Macdonald] |
- by Adam Huntington, writing from Dundee, Scotland
After a season that petered out rather disappointingly, Fabregas will relish the fresh start that Barcelona can offer. He'll be adored by his teammates, specifically Pique, who controversially forced a Barcelona top over his shoulders after Spain's World Cup triumph. Since that moment, many have said Fabregas has been a want-away, forlorn figure in the heart of Arsenal's midfield. Despite being out-shone by Wilshere though, he's still been a good player for the Gunners this season, but nothing like his fans have come to expect. Captain for two years, Arsenal fans have always looked to Fabregas with quiet awe. Upon his arrived he effortlessly fitted into Wenger's style of play and set about improving it. For a long time he's been rightfully hailed as Arsenal's best player, an accolade that amazingly has been slipping away from him due to both his midfield partner Wilshere and his lagging performances. Along with his form, he's seen his popularity fall, specifically for his behaviour on the last day of the season. Away to Fulham, Arsenal's injured skipper was no where near Craven Cottage, opting instead to attend the Spanish GP, in a move that left a bitter taste in the mouths of the fans. This single act of truancy summed up Cesc's entire season, surely signalling the end of his tenure at Arsenal.
The problem is that I don't feel Fabregas is the right player for Barcelona. He rarely starts for Spain, being held out of the team by Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets and Xabi Alonso and it's not unknown that three of those players are Barca's starting midfield trio. With the Catalan club playing so well this season, especially in midfield, it's hard to see who Fabregas is capable of replacing in the team. Xavi and Iniesta are unbelievably accomplished and Guardiola would never dream of separating them, but Busquets isn't exactly the weak link. He's not only brilliant on the ball and a commanding presence, he's also two years younger than Fabregas. Given that he can be played in a more advanced role, it's entirely feasible that Fabregas could fit into Barca's front three. However, that trio already contains Messi, Villa and Pedro: the world's current best player and two World Cup winners.
Purely based on form, it wouldn't be wise for Barcelona to sign Fabregas. This season, despite scoring nine in all competitions, he wasn't even the best midfielder for Arsenal, never mind the Premier League. Wilshere climbed above him, Nasri looked to be playing well until a huge dip in form, and even in his seven appearances, Aaron Ramsey looked almost back to his promising best. If Barcelona were looking into the Premier League for players based purely on their performance over the course of the season, Luka Modric would surely be snapped up. Confident in all roles of midfield, Modric offered a calm head, exquisite vision and was leaps and bounds, in technically ability, ahead of both his teammates and his opponents in the league.
All of their successes and plaudits this season have made the current Barca team one of the best in history. With this accolade stuck to them, it becomes incredibly difficult for them to improve and bring in players with the required quality. Not only that, these players have to play with the same style as Barcelona do; peerless in possession and tireless without it. It's then much easier to see why they would approach Fabregas, a former pupil at La Masia, Barcelona's youth academy. He knows their game well and knows the players as friends, this places him much higher in the pecking order, despite his disappointing lull in form. I won't be surprised if he signs, but I would expect he'll find himself on the bench more often than he's used to.
