How exactly can we evaluate Cesc Fabregas’ worth to Arsenal?

With the transfer story that keeps on giving showing no signs of slowing down any time soon, Cesc Fabregas’s laborious and protracted move back to his boyhood club Barcelona finally looks like happening in the foreseeable future. But just how much is the Arsenal captain really worth?

Arsenal are thought to have rejected an offer in the region of £27m for Fabregas within the last week or so, which is a serious devaluation of the supposed £35m that the Catalan club had bid for him last summer.

Barcelona President Sandro Rosell said as much arguing: “If last summer we offered £35m, and since then he has a year less on his contract, it is evident that this year he is worth less.” It’s clear that Barcelona’s need for the player is not great and that they are perfectly willing to bide their time with the move, for it is one that is as inevitable as the day is long.

Fabregas, to his credit at least, has never hidden his desire for the move. Nor, it is worth mentioning has he acted disrespectfully to Arsenal or Arsene Wenger despite the constant haranguing over the issue.

But, Rosell’s words seem to hint that should Arsenal continue to hold onto their man, then Fabregas will be reluctant to sign a new deal, meaning that Arsenal are playing a dangerous game and time is not on their hands. Whereas last summer Arsenal were the club holding all the cards, the tables have since turned and Barcelona now appear in control of the matter.

Arsenal have wistfully been rumoured to be looking for roughly £60m for Fabregas – a bargaining tactic at most it has to be said. They are apparently willing to accept in the region of £45m for Fabregas, but is he really even worth that?

Fabregas is a fantastic player. There, I’ve said it. You can quote me verbatim on that one if you like. So, the ‘you’re biased’ brigade that will inevitably treat whatever I write from hereon as nonsensical bile can at least pipe down for a bit. Please. No? Okay then.

Despite obviously being a hugely saleable asset at the club’s disposal it’s worth noting just how injury-prone Fabregas has become in the past few seasons. Just what do Arsenal do to these players that makes them so injury-prone? Fabregas has failed to start 30 league games or more in the past three Premier League seasons. To put it another way, how can they deem a player worthy of a £45m transfer fee when it is inevitable that he will miss large portions of the seasons through injury?

A player is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for them. In essence, all transfer fees are now are prospective clubs buying players out of their long-term contracts, so the approach and reasoning behind Rosell’s valuation of the player would appear to hold up.

It’s become a pub debate for the ages – just where does Fabregas fit into Barcelona’s plans? He has been seen as the heir apparent for both potential club and his country to the immeasurably brilliant Xavi Hernandez for nearly half a decade now.

However, whenever tasked with fulfilling a slightly deeper role at Arsenal, Fabregas’s performances have always been somewhat subdued. In reality, he is more of a like-for-like copy of Andres Iniesta, with arguably more end product to his game.

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