August 15, 2011

Cesc Fabregas finalizes move to Barcelona: ending the protracted transfer saga and returning to his former club in a deal worth up to £34m.

posted by lawn_wrangler to soccer at 09:57 AM - 11 comments

Spend, Arsene, spend!!!

posted by sbacharach at 10:50 AM on August 15, 2011

What sbacharah said.

I liked Cesc, but I tired of the saga and games played by Barca and especially their players. I feel kinda sorry for him. They want him because he is the shiny thing they couldn't have. Now they have him, and there isn't really a place in the starting XI for him; so while he will likely win the trophies that eluded him at Arsenal, he may very well do so from the bench.

Good luck, Cesc. The players change but the club remains the same. Come on you gooners.

posted by scully at 10:59 AM on August 15, 2011

Arsene should take this and the ~20m he's rumoured to be getting for Nasri and buy... Rory Delap.

So now I can get the pound sterling symbol to show up in the live preview, but not in the post itself. /sigh

posted by Mr Bismarck at 11:06 AM on August 15, 2011

Michael Cox had a good write up on why Cesc was bought. To some degree, I think, its also like Man City (potentially) buying Sami Nasri or Chelsea wanting Neymar.

posted by billsaysthis at 11:50 AM on August 15, 2011

Definitely sell Na$ri for 20 if those wankers at City will pay it.

Mr. B is correct. Pound Sterling symbol gets stripped. Bloody US-centric websites! ;)

posted by scully at 12:09 PM on August 15, 2011

Of course, this pales into significance now that we know that Robbie Keane is off to the LA Galaxy, the club he supported as a boy.

posted by etagloh at 08:29 PM on August 15, 2011

Understanding that joke makes me glad I became a Premiership fan a few years ago.

posted by rcade at 09:48 PM on August 15, 2011

Sid Lowe at the Guardian with some history of this deal from eight years ago in Spain.

posted by boredom_08 at 12:52 AM on August 16, 2011

Rory Delap? With either of Stoke's central defenders last year, Arsene would have walked away with at least one pot and maybe another.

posted by owlhouse at 01:12 AM on August 16, 2011

''I have always wanted to come and play in MLS so it's the perfect combination for me and a dream come true."

Jesus, even when it's not really possible he still uses that same line. He's going to need a goddamn time machine for the next signing.

posted by yerfatma at 08:24 AM on August 16, 2011

Now Eboue gone to Gala, a bunch of injuries and Gervinho and Song on three game suspensions. Think that transfer fee's burning a hole in Wenger's.. soul? Not Kroenke's apparently, as he won't even say yes to GBP12M for a dependable central defender like Jagielka, Samba or Shawcross. Remind me again how many trophies the Rams, Rockies and Nuggets in the years Stan's been in charge?

posted by billsaysthis at 11:46 AM on August 17, 2011

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