By AVI CREDITOR
Cesc Fabregas has said that he always had a place in his heart for FC Barcelona. This summer he will reportedly embrace that sentiment to the fullest.
According to Spanish reports, the Arsenal captain and Spain international will snub a lucrative offer from the Gunners to join the Spanish giant during the summer transfer window.
Sport newspaper claims that Arsenal's £30 million offer has been trumped by a £44 million one from Pep Guardiola's side, meaning that Arsenal is likely to lose its most dynamic player, and Barcelona is about to add another one.
The 22-year-old Fabregas, a Barcelona native, played in the Barcelona youth system from 1997 to 2003 before joining Arsenal.
Despite missing four games this Premier League season, Fabregas has 11 goals and 13 assists.
Here are a few other stories from around the soccer world:
GULATI RE-ELECTED AS USSF PRESIDENT
Sunil Gulati was unanimously re-elected as president of the United States Soccer Federation, meaning he will serve a second four-year term.
Gulati, who helped bring the World Cup to the United States in 1994, is the head of the movement to bring the competition back in either 2018 or 2022.
He became president in 2006, succeeding Bob Contiguglia.
MOURINHO REVEALS BUY-OUT CLAUSE
Jose Mourinho's return to the Premier League could be closer to happening after "The Special One" revealed that he has a two-way buyout clause in his Inter Milan contract.
Although Mourinho is signed on at the San Siro through 2012, the former Chelsea boss can either be bought out or buy his way out of his current contract for £5.5 million.
With teams like Liverpool and Manchester City rumored to be seeking new managers in the offseason, the speculation that Mourinho could be on his way back to England will only grow even more.
JAMAICAN STAR ARRESTED
Stoke City and Jamaica striker Ricardo Fuller was arrested after a nightclub incident Sunday night, according to team reports.
The incident happened after Stoke's 3-0 win over Blackburn, in which Fuller played 79 minutes but did not score.
Fuller, 30, allegedly assaulted a man outside the nightclub. Police said that the victim suffered facial injuries and did not need to be taken to the hospital.
BOLTON'S CAHILL OUT INDEFINITELY
Bolton defender Gary Cahill has been ruled out indefinitely with a blood clot in his arm.
Cahill, 24, has had a strong season for the Wanderers and was hoping for a place on the England World Cup team. The Guardian reports that he could be out for the rest of the season.
Bolton is currently two points clear of the drop zone in the Premier League.
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Do you think Fabregas will go home to Barcelona? Happy to see Gulati stay on as USSF president? What team would be the best fit for Mourinho? Think Bolton can stay up despite the loss of Cahill?
Share your thoughts below.
totally.
It always surprises me how he escapes being referred to as President or Kraft Soccer.
He wears multiple suits.
Same here. I don’t believe anything until the club comes out and says something.
We are in agreement. These haters aren’t USMNT fans….I wish everyone on this blog liked American soccer, but reality beckons. Also ignorance is an issue. As Americans, we are free to speak our minds, but we also have a right to hear an informed opinions. People who do not take the time to gain an understanding of an issue before spewing their ignorance are wasting everyone’s time.
Well, just because Gulati is just another suit to YOU, doesn’t mean that he is. Bringing in “Kilingsman” (did you mean jurgen klinnsman?) wouldn’t have been good for anyone. I, personally, am glad that your opinion was not heard in this matter, since it is a waste of time to read.
I don’t know too much about him but he could have been a fourth round pick because he was projected to go overseas.
Ribery is going to Real Madrid… not Barcelona. You got the country right, though. 🙂
Alex — I hear this argument that Bob doesn’t have us play creative enough. How do you expect a coach who sees these players just a few times a year — players who have gone through an entire youth set-up and various club systems — to get them to play a way that they simply CAN’T?
Creativity is borne of talent. We don’t have the talent of Italy or Brazil. What we DO have are solid players who have played as a strong squad and accomplished almost all that’s been asked of them. Bob has done a helluva job.
Arsenal not a big club? Have you been to the Emirates? Have you seen what they have done with Highbury? Have you seen their training grounds?
The plan Mr. Wenger has put together is a visionary masterpiece. Arsenal is on very solid footing financially, with tremendous assets based on its England activities alone. Their debts are very managable. Imagine when they start building an international brand (like trips to China, Japan, US etc.)! On top of that they have one of the best young player pipelines in the world and they play some of the most attractive soccer on the planet.
Don’t mind me, but I’m willing to accept the current barren trophy spell if it means building a tremendous base for future success.
Sarcasm I presume.
Completely agree with the Bob Bradley assessment. I like a cool head in positions of leadership. Not sure I agree with the ‘boring’ comments either, rather I see that demeanor as signs of an intense and professional leader. We can debate his tactics or subs like we would with any coach, but ultimately it is the players and how they perform that matters on the pitch. I hope BB stays on as USMNT coach, regardless of SA 2010.
I’m thinking Cesc is being sought out as a replacement for Xavi, who is 30, as Fabregas reaches his prime and Xavi slowly fades, or gets traded. It’s a marvel to me how Barcelona can play with so many creative dervishes and almost no enforcers. But, I guess if the other team never touches the ball…
Gulati shouldn’t be president. Let him do what he’s good at, let him focus on the economics of developing the sport, we need someone who will get us a great coach who will teach the US how to play more fluid soccer next cycle, someone who makes sure that every immediate cycle, we are hitting the pitch as hard as we can.
It pains me that Cesc would move on. But sadly, after watching my gunners get their a$$e$ handed to them in two big games, I have resigned to the fact that Arsenal is no longer a big club and the best they can ever do is fight for a 3rd or a 4th place finish. Silverware will and is hard to come by.
Thanks for the memories Cesc!
And Arsene, please make the team into a winner!! It sure would be nice to see someone in red and white hoist a trophy at some point.
Nearly beating Brazil in the Confederations Cup was nice but let’s not forget we were nearly booted out of the tournament during the first round.
Bunkering and playing long balls is not an attractive strategy. Is it too much to ask play with just a little bit of creativity? We have enough talent to do that don’t we? And if we don’t, why is Gulati getting another four years? As head of USSF isn’t it his job to improve our youth systems?
Ah yes, another World Cup qualification for the US! He certainly deserves another four years on that merit alone. Who cares whether or not we make it out of the first round. The point is, Gulati got the US to qualify out of CONCACAF and we should be forever grateful for that.
Also, can we please give Bradley another four years too? That would be great.
Signed,
US Fan
I was wrong Gerald, sorry. It wasn’t Landon Donovan they were after; it was Donovan McNabb. My bad…
Yeah I don’t see that one but if that happens MLS should say yes immediately
Exactly. That’s why he comes off the bench if he moves.
Yeah, apparently you don’t know a couple of tongue-in-cheek comments when you see one. I watch a lot of football AND soccer.
DCD:
I watch every Real Madrid game and I have for years. Rooting for a team because they are geographically close is a pretty arbitrary way of doing things, no? Sports are entertainment, and I follow teams that I find entertaining. I am not from Spain, so I have no reason to get involved in the centuries-old political divisions that drive local fan-bases.
If a person finds Barca entertaining, then watch them. Fandom is not a duty.
Breaking news…
Word from Spain is that if Fabregas accepts Barcelona’s 44 million bid, then Arsene Wenger has a 50 million bid in the works to replace him with another potent mid-fielder. Guess who it is?…
Landon Donovan. 😉
If Barca want to sign Cesc, they would have to give up major cash (25 million euros), Bojan Krkic, and either Thiago Alcantara or Gai Assulin. Not going to happen. The real story of Spaniards at Arsenal is whether Fran Merida will avoid signing a new contract so he can leave for Atletico Madrid on a free transfer in the summer window.
Pedro instead of Henry
Where does Cesc fit in with Xavi and Iniesta? Neither of those two or Fabregas would be in their place out on the fringe. They all play a similar linking role in the middle.
I don’t see him leapfrogging either of those 2 right now. Maybe in a few years he could overtake Xavi as he ages, but right now those 2 are on top of it.
If I remember correctly, the Copa America tourney took place a couple of weeks after the Gold Cup in ’07. The Gold Cup took precedent b/c the winner won the invite to the Confederations Cup09. And also no club team would release their players for two summer tournaments (club approval was needed as the tourney was a mandatory event for the USMNT)! As much as you and Steven Cohen would have love to have seen the full team in the Copa America is just didn’t make sense logically. It didn’t then and it still doesn’t. The 07 Copa would have served as a measuring stick of the quality of the team in two thousand -freaking- seven. In the Grand scheme of thing it just didn’t matter!
I know nothing about Danish second division, but he was a fourth round pick in the MLS draft, very unlikely he would have played at all in Houston.
You would think that with the way that Kinnear develops talent, he would want to be on that wagon, maybe he wouldn’t have made the team ?
one of these days it hopefully will happen, imagine…
-Henry-Ibra-Messi-
-Inesta-Cesc-Xavi-
-Abidal-Puyol-Pique-Alves-
——Valdez—–
Krkic
Pedro
Busquets
Keita
Marquez
Milito
What’s the opinion of eaun holden moving to denmark? Haven’t seen him play, but is he close to stu’s level?
But if Iniesta goes left, then where does Ribery play? : )
Why even post if you have no idea what you’re talking about?
The US inclusion in the Copa America was a slap in the face? you’ve gotta be kidding. That tournament allowed bradley to call in a whole new group of players that wouldnt have gotten any run otherwise. Who was in that squad? oh, right. Jay Demerit, Benny Feilhaber, Jon Bornstein and Charlie Davies. Just four dudes who at the time had less than 20 caps combined, and could all start in this world cup.
Bottom line Gulati has done a good job running US Soccer since his original election. I love how people freak out about the fact that Klinsmann didn’t get hired. What would suggest that he’s a world class manager anyway? He took over a world class national team hosting the World Cup to the semifinals of the tournament, that’s not ultra unusual. Then he nearly ran Bayern into the ground before the board realized he was doing an awful job and put him out of his misery by sacking him halfway through the campaign. He was an amazing player, but never once has he proved to be a strong manager.
Gulati is much, much more than a suit. As Avi stated, he was a driving force behind the bid to get the World Cup here in 1994. Without that tournament, who knows where the game would be now.
Maybe they would have let him ride the plane down there. He wasn’t seeing the field.
that sucks for cahill. he had a shot at the world cup.
As good as Cesc is and it would be painful to lose the captain right when he is coming into his prime, it is painfully obvious what we need at Arsenal are finishers. The Chelsea game showed that while you can control the midfield, and even have nice build up, if you can’t finish you won’t win. Chelsea played great D, but they also capitalized when they had chances. Drogba doesn’t miss and Arshavin did.
yeah, apparently you don’t watch much football.
The problem is that he’s tired of not winning anything. Even with RVP healthy, Arsenal wouldn’t win the league or the big cup or the little cup. Wenger not signing a physical striker in the January window was a TERRIBLE signal to any ambitious player. If your manager and your club aren’t matching your ambitions, you might just pursue a change of scenery.
I read about cesc moving in the same sports magazine. I think it was this weeks issue of the national enquirer. also big foot is gonna take mancini’s offer and go to city. every window i hear about this whole barcelona cesc fabregas thing as long as arsene is there cesc will be there.
Don’t you just love the random Barca/Real Madrid/Man U/Chelsea fanbase? I suppose it’s a bit like being a Yankee fan if you’ve never followed baseball.
cesc in a barca midfield would be amazing to watch. I’d like to see im stay at arsenal. He’ll be just another player in vbarca, but he could be a legend in england/london at arsenal
It’s about time!
Omar, I’ve been saying that for years now. People have blamed Bradley when things go wrong and give him no credit when things go right. For Godsakes, I heard people criticize him for not making sure that Davies didn’t go out the night before the WC qualifier.
He may be a tad boring, he may be hesitant to try out new styles, but you can’t argue with the man’s results. This point is obviously moot with a terrible WC showing.
Cesc is Arsenal’s captain and will certainly sign on for three more years at Ashburton Grove. He could sign a multi-year deal and play a couple of years with Arsenal before thinking about a return to Barca when he is 25 years old. At that point he would likely be at his peak and prepared to replace an aging Xavi. Of course Barca will try to sign him now because they are going through their absurd presidential elections in which candidates promise to sign players who are under contract elsewhere. With Rosicky and Eduardo returning to form, Arshavin at his best, and Fabregas, van Persie, Nasri, Diaby, Walcott, and Song all hitting the prime of their careers over the next couple of years, Cesc has plenty of reason to stay with Wenger.
You heard it here: he’s going to Koblenz.
Do people really follow these two teams? Where’s the drama? Oh no, we might lose a CL semi-final!!!! AGGGGGGGGGH!!!! I can understand appreciating great soccer, but being a Barca fan? Unless you’re from Barcelona, seems a little . . . risk averse.
How is this rumor about Cesc any different from the rumors that come up every 2 weeks in the UK tabloids for the last 6 years? He’ll be a Gunner next year.
It would have been stupid to pay out the *** for a relatively unproven coach who wanted complete control of the youth system, and probably would have bolted to a high-profile job IF he had been successful.
And all Bob Bradley has done is beat Spain, reach the US’s first FIFA final, get to the Gold Cup final with a B- squad, and top the Hex group in qualifying for the World Cup.
What is it Klinsmann would have done differently? Blown out Brazil 5-0? I am a huge Bob Bradley fan — he did what he was supposed to do, and a little bit more. He might be boring, but he’s an honorable guy and things are looking up.
And being 5 points clear of them in La Liga.
How does his game not fit in the EPL? Robinho’s game doesnt fit but Fabregas is one of the best players in the league. He has 11 goals and 13 assists. I wouldnt blame him if he does go but I would hate to see him leave. When your top striker goes down for the year and you don’t bring ANYONE in? Playing with young guys is good and all but they are never going to be the top teams in Europe because they don’t have a goal scorer.
Hope Cesc enjoys coming off the bench. And losing to Real Madrid repeatedly.
Let me add that the US participation in Copa America in Venezuela was a slap in the face to US fans and Conmebol who are planning to give next tournament’s spot to Japan.
Ricardo needs to take tips from Dane Richards on how to party responsibly!
Fabregas is NOT going ANYWHERE!, Barca upped ,the offer, but Fabby is still 22, he said he would go there in the “future”……
or maybe as an arsenal fan im being optimistic, but i cant see him leaving next season
To me Gulati is just another suit ala Don Garber. Ives, you tell us if we should be happy or not. If Klingsman was availabe and he didn’t want to spend a little more to sign him, that alone should get him the boot. Fans should be able to have a vote or a least a say into this matter.
Cesc, go back home where you long. If anyone saw the Chelsea vs Arsenal game would agree with me that the EPL is not for Cesc’s game. His game is technical and creative, he would be a great addition to Barca, Iniesta will go left after Henry leaves this summer.