Party time: Spain keeper Pepe Reina with Cesc
Fabregas in a Barcelona shirt
Arsene Wenger will be back at his desk today determined
to fend off Barcelona's continued interest in Cesc Fabregas and
push ahead with his own summer recruitment plans.
Wenger has spent the past few weeks working for French
television at the World Cup. His presence in Johannesburg following
Spain's victory over Holland afforded new Barcelona president,
Sandro Rosell, the chance to broach the subject of Fabregas' future
with the Arsenal manager.
The message from Wenger was loud and clear: Fabregas is not for
sale, and the manner of Barca's very public pursuit of the
Arsenal skipper has left him infuriated.
In fairness to Rosell, the open and arrogant nature of
Barca's courtship of Fabregas was down to his predecessor, Joan
Laporta. In addition, there was nothing Rosell could have done to
prevent Barca defenders Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique forcibly
pulling a Barca shirt over Fabregas' head as the Spain squad
celebrated their World Cup triumph in front of 200,000 people not
to mention the world's media.
While obviously embarrassing for both Arsenal and Fabregas, the
club have absolved their skipper of any blame for the prank. Rosell
was also likely to have left cringing as he tries to calm the
waters between the two clubs.
Even so, Rosell is understood to have politely told Wenger that
Barca's pursuit of Fabregas will continue even if a ceiling price
of £37.5million falls well short of anything that could hope to
attract Arsenal's attention.
Pals: World Cup hero Andres Iniesta (right) talked
up Fabregas's potential move to the Nou Camp
Meanwhile, despite Rosell's attempts to take their
pursuit of Fabregas out of the public domain, the questions to his
Spain and potential Barca team-mates continue.
Spain's goal hero Andres Iniesta yesterday became the latest
Barca player offer his opinion, saying: 'Everybody has come out and
spoken of the desire we have for him to be with us next season. We
would be delighted. Not just because he is a team-mate and a
friend, but because it would be great for the club.
'His arrival would give us a huge jump up in quality and he
would play his part to help us stay up there competing in the big
competitions. We would love him to be here.'
With the uncertainty surrounding Fabregas' future sure to rumble
on, Wenger has little option other than to concern himself with his
own transfer targets.
The Arsenal manager is eager to land Fulham goalkeeper Mark
Schwarzer after having had an initial offer in the region of £2m
rejected. An improved bid in the region of £3million will be
forthcoming but given Schwarzer's advancing years, he turns 38 in
October, Wenger does not intend to be held to ransom.
Having lost defenders William Gallas and Mikael Silvestre and
with Sol Campbell mulling over a move to either Celtic or
Sunderland, Wenger is also in the market for another centre-back
despite the capture of Laurent Koscielny from Lorient for a fee
close to £10m.
Udinese's 22-year-old Colombia international, Cristian Zapata,
is understood to be Wenger's radar as is Stuggart's Germany
defender Serdar Tasci.
Wenger also remains in the hunt for free-agent Joe Cole but a
move depends on offloading either Tomas Rosicky or Eduardo
first.
The plan is to have all the new recruits on board in time for
The Emirates Cup at the end of the month while Koscielny and fellow
new boy Marouanne Chamakh are expected to be given a run out at
Barnet on Saturday.
