ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP:ARSENAL RECEIVED a massive boost ahead of the Premier League season and their quest to end a six-year silverware drought when Cesc Fabregas yesterday committed his immediate future to the club.
The 23-year-old ended the summer’s most protracted transfer speculation by claiming he is “100 per cent focused on playing for Arsenal” for another season, at least, while apologising to supporters for not offering assurances earlier that he would not move to Barcelona.
Fabregas again admitted playing for the Catalan club was his dream, suggesting this could be the midfielder’s final season and that Arsene Wenger had struck a deal with the player similar to that which allowed Alex Ferguson to delay Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure for Real Madrid for a year.
“I would like to apologise to all the Arsenal fans for not speaking sooner about my future but I have not known what I was going to do until this moment,” Fabregas said. “I cannot deny joining a club like Barcelona was not an attractive move for me. This was the club where I learned my football, it is my home town where my friends and family are, and a club where I have always dreamed of playing. There are not many players in the world who would not want to play for Barcelona.”
The Arsenal captain, who won the World Cup with Spain, revealed that Wenger had turned down two offers from Barcelona, including a €35 million bid in June. Fabregas said: “I have had many conversations with Arsene Wenger both in person and over the phone over the last few months and although the content of those conversations will remain private, the conclusion is that Barcelona have had two formal offers rejected by Arsenal. I am a professional and I fully understand that it is Arsenal’s prerogative not to sell me.
“I owe a lot to the club, manager and the fans and I will respect their decision and will now concentrate on the new season ahead with Arsenal. I can assure all the fans that now the negotiations have ended I will be 100 per cent focused on playing for Arsenal. I am an Arsenal player and as soon as I step out on to the pitch that is the only club I will be thinking about.
“I am looking forward to the start of the season and putting this speculation behind me.”
Fabregas’s decision represents a major victory for Wenger following a pursuit by Barcelona that featured a concerted public campaign, which included encouragement from many of their stars and caused much displeasure at the Emirates.
Last night Barca released a statement lamenting the failure to sign Fabregas while emphasising they never bid more than €40 million for a player they lost for nothing.
Having come through Barcelona’s youth ranks before joining Arsenal at 16 it appears inevitable that at some point Fabregas will return to play in Spain.
Meanwhile, Roy Hodgson has confirmed that Liverpool will hand Jamie Carragher a new contract once the club’s ownership saga and transfer dealings are resolved this summer, and is confident the defender and Steven Gerrard will remain part of the Anfield furniture “for life”.
Carragher has entered the final year of his contract after a change of manager and the uncertainty surrounding the club’s future under Tom Hicks and George Gillett put negotiations over an extension on hold. While it is unusual for Liverpool to allow a player of Carragher’s standing to get so close to a Bosman transfer, Hodgson has no concerns about losing the 32-year-old. The Liverpool manager said the defender will be approached with a new deal once rebuilding efforts and possibly a takeover are complete.
“I’m sure it (a contract extension) will be a priority,” said Hodgson. “Quite frankly so much has happened in the last five weeks, the hours I’ve spent at the club are enormous, that we haven’t actually got round to discussing contracts with players.”
Hodgson wanted another Liverpool stalwart, Sami Hyypia, to return to Anfield in a coaching capacity this summer but was unable to convince Bayer Leverkusen to release the Finnish defender.
