"We’ve got Cesc Fabregas, we’ve got Cesc Fabregas" was the chant that rocked the Emirates Stadium on every match day. It was Franscesc Fabregas Soler, the Catalan kid from FC Barcelona who joined the Arsenal youth setup at 16 years of age in 2003.
Cesc Fabregas was part of a youth team at FCB with players like Gerard Pique, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Pedro Rodriguez among others. After closely watching, the Arsenal scouts sensed an opportunity and after discussing matters with young Cesc and his parents the kid from Catalonia was a Gunner.
After training with the youth setup at it was obvious the potential was there and he easily moved up from being with the reserves to having a brief spell with the first team.
Arsene Wenger saw that and in the 2004-2005 season Fabregas began playing a major role, and even featured in the 2006 Champions League final against his old team. Cesc learnt from the best and year after year he improved and became a major player for Arsenal, a player that best described Arsene Wenger’s reliance on youth and how being patience will pay you dividends in the long term.
In 2009-2010 season FC Barcelona knocked on the door and wanted their son back, and after a transfer saga that lasted over a year Barcelona got what they wanted for a price a little over £35m.
Why did Arsenal sell Fabregas?
The answer is he wanted to go. Barcelona unprofessionally caused a lot of pressure and that turned Fabregas’ head.
After three unsuccessful seasons in La Liga, should he have come back? And why didn’t they use the buy back clause?
Arsenal probably needed Cesc Fabregas on August 31, 2013. But after signing Mesut Ozil on September 1st, Fabregas wasn’t needed anymore. Another reason is the club having worked so hard with Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, buying Fabregas would have only hampered their development in becoming great players.
No one in the world of football knows Cesc Fabregas more than Arsene Wenger, and if he thinks Arsenal don’t need him than he must be right. At 22-years-old, both Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere have huge potential and have the ability to be even better than Cesc. Another thing is that Arsenal are in need of a pivotal midfielder, a player who will protect the back four and have that physique Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva had.
Other than that, there are certain players emerging from the youth setup that have huge potential like Gedion Zelalem and Daniel Crowley, who play in a similar position.
Buying Cesc Fabregas while having Ozil, Ramsey and Wilshere can also hurt Crowley and Zelalem’s development.
Arsene Wenger will never stock talent on top of talent in the same position, something David Dein continuously says. His philosophy is to develop the players by giving them chances to show what they’ve got, and if they show consistency and talent they become regular starters.
Watching Fabregas do well at Chelsea must be hard, but Gooners shouldn't forget the emerging talents they have in the ranks. The future is very exciting for Arsenal Football Club.