It’s no secret the Spaniard wants to return to his boyhood club, Bacary Sagna has had no problem telling us that. However we also know that Fabregas has a tremendous amount of respect for Arsene Wenger and the club and whilst he may be disappointed if his move to Catalonia doesn’t go through

So as we hit that magical date of July 1st when the holidays end and the pre-season training and tours begin, Arsenal fans as well as supporters across the globe are once again wondering about where the Catalan Captain will be plying his trade next season.

Despite supposed interest from the two Milan clubs, Real Madrid and even Manchester City, everybody knows that Cesc will only be walking out of Ashburton Grove or the Nou Camp come the end of the transfer window.

It’s no secret the Spaniard wants to return to his boyhood club, Bacary Sagna has had no problem telling us that. However we also know that Fabregas has a tremendous amount of respect for Arsene Wenger and the club and whilst he may be disappointed if his move to Catalonia doesn’t go through, I personally think that Cesc would never want to leave Arsenal for anyone else but Barca.

Many assume, including the media, the neutrals and even the Gunners faithful themselves that it is already a done deal and that Cesc will be taking orders from Pep Guardiola rather than from Wenger at the start of the next campaign.

Yet this summer seems so far to be taking a similar route to that of last years.

Barca have reportedly bid twice for Cesc. One a pathetic offer of £27 million, £5m less than their bid last year, and another an increased amount but still not enough to convince the Gunners to allow their talisman to pack his bags.

What else is similar?

Well Wenger and the club have said that Cesc is not for sale and that he will be returning for pre-season training.

To top it off the player has shown his class and respect for Arsenal, saying:

“I’m calm and I am optimistic. I have nothing to say and there is nothing to speak of.” – Cesc Fabregas.

So there is evidence that Fabregas could once again be leading out his current employers for another year but should Arsenal consider doing what was previously the unthinkable and cash in on their prized possession?

Cesc himself wants to go and keeping an unhappy player at the club against his will won’t exactly enhance his relationship with the players, manager and the fans.

I don’t blame the man for wanting to return home. He hasn’t lifted a trophy in six years yet going back to his roots is almost a guarantee for silverware and the chance to be part of arguably the greatest football side of all time.

I love the man as much as the next Gooner and in my opinion is the best in the world in his role of pushing forward from midfield, creating chances and scoring goals.

However, with just 3 league goals last year and a number of injuries, Cesc seems to be missing more and more football and if Arsenal get an offer which meets their demand then I wouldn’t blame them for selling.

Arsenal already have enough injury-prone players, RVP, Rosicky, Gibbs just to name a few and can’t afford to be waiting around for another one their key players to get off the treatment table whilst the available players are struggling to find a spark on the pitch.

So if Cesc leaves, what next for Arsenal?

Well it’s clear that if Cesc goes, Nasri HAS to stay. Whilst Ramsey is a real talent, and certainly and star in the future, we can’t have two youngsters in a midfield trio no matter how good they are. Alex Song doesn’t exactly have the most experience in the world at the top level either. We need that experienced player to sure up the side in key areas.

Nasri would drop into the Cesc role with it looking increasingly likely that Gervinho would take his place on the flank, unless Arshavin manages to pull his finger out or we end up getting someone else (Mata anyone?) with the sale of Fabregas adding to the transfer war-chest.

So to wrap it up, I think that without Cesc, life and a title is challenge is still possible if we keep Nasri and spend money on proven talent in the necessary areas.

Without Cesc AND Nasri, we’re in real trouble.

Here’s to keeping both of them eh?

Up the Gooners.

Mean Lean’s Response

Without Cesc and Nasri without replacements then yes, it would be a big concern for the short term but I don’t think that the boss would allow those two players to leave without any replacements.

It is a massively unsettling summer, well at least potentially. The manager has always stressed the importance of continuity but with so many players uncertain of their future it appears to be the opposite of continuity right now.

That said, Cesc Fabregas has a healthy contract with plenty of years remaining. Regardless of what others think, the ball is in our court and any deal will have to be agreed by Arsenal.

I would guess that Wenger has spoken to Cesc and has informed him that if a bid of over x comes in then he can leave, anything less and he stays put. That is total guess work on my part but given the fact that Cesc has been loyal and clearly would like to return I just couldn’t see Wenger standing in his way. If that conversation has been made then he will know how much money he will have to spend and he will also know what type of player he will want to replace Cesc with.

Contrary to popular belief, Arsene Wenger is a very intelligent manager who knows exactly what he is trying to do and above most managers, he is great at seeing things and planning ahead before they happen.

There is plenty of time left in this market and you can see that by the amount of clubs who are yet to do deals. I would advise everyone reading this to relax, not get too involved in the speculation and see how it all unfolds. We are powerless so there is no need to add any extra stress in our lives.

All I hope is that Wenger can bring in the players he wants to bring in and he can keep the ones he wants to.

I have read the line ‘This is not Arsene FC’ countless times so if that is the case then it is also not ‘Cesc or Nasri FC’

The Arsenal will still be here tomorrow.