Arsenal FC: Why Cesc Fabregas Should Have Stayed in Arsene Wenger's Tough Period

Arsene Wenger has been criticized by many journalists and fans for his summer spending (or the lack of it), but everyone will understand the difficulties that he has been through regarding the situations of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. Arsenal have finally reached an agreement in principle with FC Barcelona regarding the transfer of Fabregas, and the midfielder is set to seal his move following some formalities and a successful medical.

Since Arsenal’s move to the Emirates, the long serving Gunners’ manager has not had the transfer budget to spend big to sign quality players. However, he embarked on an intelligent strategy developing youth and ensured that the Gunners never finished beyond the top four places in the league table. However, Arsenal have failed to win trophies in this time, though the club and the manager have been responsible in developing so many talented players.

Of the many creative players that Wenger has developed, the boy from Catalonia by the name of Cesc Fabregas was the brightest of the lot and was groomed to arguably become the best midfielder in the Premiership. Fabregas was initially a player in Barcelona’s youth squad, but the midfielder joined Arsenal at the tender age of 17 because of the first team opportunities at Arsenal, and also, the opportunity to work with a manager who could bring out the best from youngsters.

Fabregas’ performances for the Gunners propelled him into the reckoning of the Spanish national team’s manager, and the midfielder has gone on to win the Euro championship and the World Cup as a Arsenal player. The Arsenal manager identified the talent in the youngster and provided him the opportunities to excel as a youngster. It was evident from the time that Fabregas played for Arsenal at the age of 17 that this was a player who had the potential to be a world class midfielder.

Wenger helped the Spaniard exhibit his full potential and built the team around the Spanish midfielder, making him pivotal to Arsenal’s attacking prowess. With the departure of Thierry Henry to FC Barcelona, Fabregas became Arsenal’s most important player in attack linking midfield and attack and produced several moments of brilliance in his Arsenal career. He was also made the captain of the Arsenal captain, and though not a natural leader, he could be inspirational with his play, as he showcased on many occasions, including that memorable 27-minute cameo against Aston Villa, where he came on as a substitute and scored two goals.

However, his former club FC Barcelona have long expressed an interest in the Spanish midfielder and wanted to take him back to his hometown. Arsenal were obviously reluctant to lose their captain and best player which has led to a protracted transfer saga, which has dragged on for more than two years, with the clubs reaching an agreement on the 14th of August. Cesc Fabregas has never openly stated that he wanted to leave Arsenal for Barcelona, but it has been speculated that he did want to move to the Spanish giants in the future.

Speculation was rife in the last summer that Barcelona were on the verge of signing the Spaniard, but Fabregas ended up staying at the club, with Wenger keen to hold on to the midfielder for at least one more season. In this season, there were a number of positives regarding potential replacements for Fabregas in the future, with Jack Wilshere and Samir Nasri excelling this season.

Nasri was expected to be the replacement for Fabregas when the Spaniard left for Barcelona, but the French midfielder has only one year left on his contract and is apparently reluctant to sign a new deal because if he was fully committed to the club, he would have signed a new contract by the start of the season. Nasri has been linked with moves to various clubs, and with the Frenchman left out of the squad for the opener against Newcastle, there is a good possibility that the Frenchman could also leave the club in the summer.

Also, there is a good possibility that some other players will also leave the club, like Nicklas Bendtner, who was frustrated by lack of playing time, and Emmanuel Eboue, who was not given a squad number, which would normally mean that he could be on the move in the summer. With Aaron Ramsey still not ready to replace the influential Spaniard and less than 20 days left in the transfer window, Wenger is in a tricky position, and if he cannot replace the players, the Gunners are bound to be in big trouble this season due to the lack of quality depth.

The Frenchman has come under increased scrutiny, and there have been chants and some protests against the manager for not spending enough money to sign quality players. Wenger has not been a manager who has splashed the money on transfers and has mostly signed players with talent at cheap prices like he did with Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires.

The Gunners are in real danger of not qualifying for the Champions League considering their tough game against Udinese and also, with Liverpool strengthening considerably, they could  lose out on a Champions League place in the next season. Wenger, in all his time at Arsenal, has never come under so much pressure, and the transfer sagas of Fabregas and Nasri has only added further anxiety to the Arsenal manager and fans.

There has been some talk amongst supporters that Wenger promised to let Fabregas leave the club in this summer, which is why they have agreed to negotiate with Barcelona, but this was the worst time in Wenger’s career to lose his best player. The Spaniard was Arsenal’s captain and should have stood for his team when they most needed him. However, he had an injury-hit season, and he will be leaving Arsenal without accomplishing his dream of lifting a competitive trophy as the captain of the club.

Though it is understandable that Fabregas wants to return to the club he has always supported, he could spend a lot of time on the Barcelona bench because Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez are three midfielders who cannot be displaced by Fabregas. Also, the Spaniard has/had a long term contract with the Gunners, which meant that playing for one more year to ease the pressure off Wenger should have been considered by Fabregas.

Wenger was the manager who gave him the opportunity to develop into a world class midfielder and when he joined Arsenal, it was one of the trickiest decisions for the Spaniard to make. However, the Frenchman helped the midfielder develop into the player he is now but Wenger is under unprecedented pressure from all quarters and needs to hold on to his best players.

However, Fabregas has been intent on leaving the club in the summer irrespective of the club’s position in the summer. and considering that he is the club captain, it does not send out the right signal to the young team. Fabregas’ professionalism cannot be doubted, as he always gave his all for the club, but has deserted the club and the man who made him the player he is when they needed him the most, and it is hard not to doubt the love of the club for the talented Cesc Fabregas.