So, yesterday was England vs Mexico and there are quite a lot of topics I want to talk about, like how bad Carrick is, and how hit and miss Theo Walcott is (sometimes electric, sometimes like a bunny in headlights). When Theo is good, he is very good, and when he is bad he is well, not that great.
Anyway, onto more pressing matters, and the future of Cesc is being more clouded and clouded with uncertainty and a bit more uncertainty. I’ve recently posted about what I thought was a Cesc Fabrication, a made up ploy by Barcelona to unsettle the player, with no real desire from the player at all. That was until the stories from Cesc’s father broke today.
Now I am worried.
Cesc’s old man had this say:
“He (Cesc) is focused now on the Spanish national team but what he wants is for the transfer to be concluded as soon as possible. The negotiations between Arsenal and Barcelona will be very long and both parties are going to have to sit down together a few times because the issue is a complicated one. I don’t know how this is going to pan out but I believe you have to respect the decision and the wishes of the player.”
Now the source is a Spanish radio and of course, Cesc’s dad’s view could differ from that of the player himself, but it is his dad and surely that means it’s got some element of truth in it? If it is true, then the silence of the club does speak volumes. Arsene would be very very upset to see Cesc want to leave, let alone actually leave. Money is secondary to the player’s worth in our team, in our youth policy and in our future. He is surely the best player we have?
Another director (how many do they have?) at Barcelona, Joan Olvier, said this on the official Barcelona site too:
“There is no offer yet. It’s true the player has expressed his wish to play for Barca, perhaps this coming season. We have had first contacts with Arsenal in which we made known our intention to talk and that’s the current situation. We are not in any hurry and you never know how long these operations can take.”
Of course, this is backed up by the comments from Peter Hill Wood, who earlier today (maybe yesterday) mentioned he was “surprised but delighted” that they hadn’t made an official offer to us yet. Naturally, if this transfer were to happen and were to happen this season, it would be a very protracted and long transfer. First we would have to determine Cesc’s worth, the impact of his loss, who could replace him and ensure we have everything in place before the start of the season.
It’s not the right timing.
It is at least a season too early. With our squad shaping nicely, and players like Chamakh being brought on board, it’s not the right timing for Cesc to abandon the ship and if indeed, these reports are true, then it’s strange to see a player who was only made our captain last season, and at the tender age of 23 – a player who has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to leave, get up and go.
Many people have said this summer will signal a departure next year and the final part of his dad’s statement echoes the longevity of his contract.
“We are also grateful to Arsenal because they have turned our son into a complete man. At the moment he has a contract with Arsenal,” he added. “My impression is that the English club don’t want to sell him but in the end they will give in and let Cesc go.”
It’s hard to know how to react to talk like this from the Spanish media, from Barcelona and now even from Cesc’s dad. Does it now seem inevitable that Cesc will be on his way in the not too distant future? I believe, this will have a very bad effect on the Arsenal as a team. If our talisman leaves – and we know he is the best player at the club, then how do we even go about replacing him? That’s a topic for another time – I’m not 100% sure he is definitely off, but I do now believe that perhaps it’s not all a fabrication after all.
Listen to Hleb
If I were Cesc, I would listen to Alex Hleb – he has urged the Spanish starlet to stay at Arsenal and become the hero we all want him to be:
“I stay in touch with Cesc a lot and it’s hard for me to judge what he should do. He and Gael Clichy are both very good players who must make their own decisions about their future. But I would advise them to stay. It didn’t work out for Arsenal this season but, if Arsene Wenger keeps the side together, they can really go far next year. They play great football. It’s partly a question of experience and next season Arsenal will have more of it if everyone stays. All things being equal, I think they have a very good chance of the title next season.”
Interestingly enough, the temptation to sell Cesc, knowing that we could get upwards of £50m for the player may follow suit to every other summer since the new stadium – we’ve been selling players every summer, from the likes of Henry to Adebayor to Toure – once Arsene even said we have to raise a minimum of £25m every summer in order to pay our debts.
Even more interesting is Hleb’s mention of Gael Clichy, whom has been linked with quite a few clubs, Inter, Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona themselves. Surely he isn’t on his way? Is he?
Whatever is going on, from an Arsenal point of view, I can’t wait for September 1st. All of this uncertainty is going to give me sleepless nights. Whatever happens, I can rest assured that we have Arsene at the helm to get us through this. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have the likes of Cesc or Clichy at the club in the first place.
For now, it’s time to start writing up my “Arsenal vs England” blog for later… I know who I’d rather watch!!!
