When will this Arsenal transfer saga end?

It has arguably been the most talked about transfer story of the last two seasons. And quite frankly, it’s getting a bit boring!

Speculation about the future of Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has been the main talking point of the summer so far. Last summer he was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, but after several intense bidding wars, he stayed at the Emirates for another season in the hope that the club would end their trophy drought. But now, with another unsuccessful season over and done with and with a new board in place at the club, Fabregas’ departure from the Emirates may finally occur in the next couple of weeks.

First of all, it has become very clear that Fabregas does not want to stay at Arsenal. Since he joined the club as a 16-year old in 2003, he has slowly developed and matured to become one of the most exciting young midfielders in the world. He has arguably been the best player in the Gunners squad in the last five seasons. Yet the only piece of silverware he has won in that time was the FA Cup back in 2005 and it has now got to the point where Arsenal are miles behind Manchester United and Chelsea in terms of quality and success.

Therefore why would Fabregas want to stay? He will no doubt feel that his talents are simply going to waste. and his style of play would be better suited at Barcelona. Having been a former trainee at the Nou Camp, he will feel that it is now time for him to return to the club that loves and finally achieve the success that his abilities deserve.

Since this story started, Arsene Wenger and the board have been very stubborn and advised Barca that Fabregas was not for sale at any price. But now that the club’s circumstances have changed following the takeover by Stan Kroenke, the club has had to reconsider their position and accept the fact that their star midfielder may not be at the club much longer.

Compared to the teams that finished above them, the club’s financial situation is in a very poor state and the club simply have not got the finances to spend money on big players. Whilst Manchester United have spent nearly £35 million on two players alone, Arsenal’s only acquisition this summer thus far is Carl Jenkinson from Charlton Athletic – for £1m. If Barca do eventually match the asking price of £40m for the Spaniard, that money could go along way to helping the club invest in new players, which they desperately need to do in order to compete for the title.

If Fabregas were to leave Arsenal, it would leave a huge hole in the first team. But it could also be a blessing in disguise. Over the last couple of seasons, Fabregas has been prone to injury and has had to endure several months on the sidelines. During his absences, the club witnessed the emergence of Jack Wilshere and the hugely influential performances of Samir Nasri. These two players proved to be more than adequate replacements to Fabregas in Arsenal’s midfield last season and they also proved that the club do not necessarily need Fabregas to help the team win. Also, no club wants to dish out thousands of pounds a week on a player who is constantly injured. With all of this in mind, selling Fabregas for £40m could be a very sensible decision.

All that Arsenal would need to do is learn by the examples set by Manchester United and Liverpool when they sold their star players. Both clubs have learnt to adapt to losing Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres respectively, and they have done so with very positive results. Provided Arsenal invest in the right players during the transfer window, they could very easily fill the hole that the Spaniard would leave.

Should things go according to plan, Fabregas will get his dream move to the club that he loves and Arsenal will receive a huge cash injection: A potential win-win situation. This transfer saga may be about to reach the conclusion we were all expecting, but it may have come at just the right time.

Read more of Sam’s articles at http://diamondformation.wordpress.com/. Also follow him on Twitter: @DiamondFormat.

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