Knockout blow: Cesc Fabregas has been urged by his manager to pledge his future to ArsenalCesc Fabregas was brought to tears after a video chronicling his early years with Barcelona was shown to 2,500 fans.
The gathering took place on Sunday in Fabregas’s hometown of Arenys de Mar, north of Barcelona, on a tribute night to recognise his contribution to Spain’s World Cup win.
And if Arsene Wenger was hoping his skipper would use the occasion to pledge his allegiance to Arsenal, he was left disappointed.
Addressing the crowd, who called for their hero to return to his boyhood club and cheered as images of him wearing the Barca shirt were projected, the midfielder did little to dampen the speculation surrounding his future by saying: ‘I hope to see all of you more often and closer.’
Barcelona have already had an offer of £30million for Fabregas rejected by Arsenal and are ready to raise that by a further £3m, a sum which is unlikely to alter Wenger’s stance.
Spanish newspaper Marca has claimed that if Barcelona fail to prise the 23-year-old away from Arsenal, they will turn to Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta.
Goodison chairman Bill Kenwright has held talks with Arteta this summer to persuade him to resist any overtures from Manchester City, and will not welcome any approach from Barcelona.
Fabregas is due back in England on Thursday and Wenger has called on him to end the talk of a return to Barcelona by publicly stating his intention to stay at Arsenal.
Bond: Fabregas remains close to Arsene Wenger having served under him for his most of his professional lifeThat remains highly unlikely, although, contrary to reports, Fabregas is not expected again to tell his manager that he wants to go, as he feels it is now in the hands of both clubs to sort out his future.
Both he and Robin van Persie will miss Arsenal’s final pre-season game away to Legia Warsaw on Saturday. That should give summer signing Marouane Chamakh another chance to impress.
Wenger and defender Johan Djourou praised the Morocco star’s ‘presence’ during the Emirates Cup last weekend.
‘He had an intelligent game and was a good presence up front,’ said the Arsenal boss after Chamakh scored on his home debut in a 1-1 draw with AC Milan. ‘I believe he did very well. We wanted a player who could play for the team up front and get involved in combinations.’
Djourou added: ‘He can do a lot with his presence. He’s a big guy, good with his feet, powerful and good in the air.’
Time will tell whether Chamakh, a free signing from Bordeaux, can match the goalscoring of Thierry Henry or Ian Wright, but his displays against Milan and Celtic showed why Wenger trailed him for more than a year.
Beautiful, free-flowing football is all well and good but Arsenal can use the 6ft 2in Chamakh as a target man — a strong centre forward who holds the ball up and brings others into play.
He is not particularly quick, but his instinctive debut goal showed impressive timing. He is surely an upgrade on Nicklas Bendtner.
Chamakh, 26, said: ‘I can play the way Arsenal play, but I can bring something more with long balls towards me if we are struggling. I’m strong in the air. I love scoring goals but I am not obsessed with it. I am not a very selfish striker.’
Ma-new: Marouane Chamakh (left) has been compared to former Arsenal striker Manu AdebayorSince Emmanuel Adebayor’s move to Manchester City last summer, Arsenal have lacked a spearhead for their quick and exciting attacking football.
It is no coincidence that Wenger’s first expression of serious interest in Chamakh coincided with Adebayor’s exit.
Chamakh told the Offical Arsenal Magazine: ‘We (Adebayor and I) have a similar playing profile. I guess with my height and my qualities in the air, playing in England was always my best option. 'My favourite position is up front with another striker as I think I can complement another forward perfectly.’
Bacary Sagna, like Chamakh’s close friend Samir Nasri, already knew the striker before he joined.
‘He looks like Adebayor,’ he said. ‘They are both very good in front of goal and it’s a good thing for the team. He can make the difference because he can keep the ball and score great goals.’
Wenger needs to buy at least one more central defender and a world-class goalkeeper, but he may just have found the missing piece of his attacking jigsaw in Chamakh.
source: dailymail
