Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas is close to
signing a new, lucrative contract aimed at finally warding off Real
Madrid and Barcelona. The 21-year-old Young Player of the Year is
already committed to Arsenal until 2014 but it is understood the
club are set to complete a new deal worth around £100,000 a
week.
Gael Clichy already confirmed that he has agreed to a
new deal and is about to extend his existing contract by a further
two years. Fabregas joined Arsenal in 2003 and in 2006 he signed an
eight-year deal; his existing agreement is believed to be worth
around £60,000 a week and despite insisting that they will not
break their strict wage structure, the youngster's wages will be
increase to send a clear message to Spain that he is staying at the
Emirates Stadium.
In February, Fabregas revealed that he was in talks
aimed at improving his already lucrative agreement and Arsene
Wenger, his manager, admitted that a deal could be done when the
season had finished.
At the time Fabregas said: "I want to succeed at
Arsenal and that the club wants me is fundamental for me. I am
proud (to be linked to Barcelona), I am from Barcelona and I have
played there. But now I only think of winning as many titles as
possible here (at Arsenal)."
Real have never disguised their admiration for Fabregas
and, more recently, Ramon Calderon, the club's president, said:
“Every coach likes him but my policy is that it has to be the
player who makes the first step for the signing because we don't
want conflicts with any team. Something nice about Cesc is that he
is Spanish and this is one of my objectives - to make Real Madrid
more Spanish.”
Fabregas has also admitted that he would like to see a
fellow Spaniard join Arsenal, claiming that David Villa, who is set
to leave Valencia, would be an ideal signing at the Emirates.
Wenger, for now, will be satisfied just to keep Fabregas and Clichy
in North London, particularly after losing his midfield partner,
Mathieu Flamini, to AC Milan on a free transfer.
Clichy's current contract expires in 2010 and he added:
"We're talking about a further two years. It's a superb plan to
throw yourself into the future with this group here. I never
hesitated, not at all. Arsenal is one of the great clubs in
Europe."
