wenger playing handball with cesc

ARSENAL are threatening to stop
Cesc Fabregas playing for
Barcelona in the Champions
League this season.
Fabregas looks Barca-bound
once a fee can finally be agreed.
But boss Arsene Wenger wants
to speed things up and could
pick his skipper for a Champions
League play-off on August 16 or
17.
The Gunners want £40m, but the
European champions are only
willing to go to £35m, with an
extra £5m in bonus add-ons.
Barca have made it clear they
are willing to wait until the end
of the transfer window on
August 31 to wrap up the
return of their former youth-
team player.
But Wenger is fed up by the
delay and plans to flex his
managerial muscle by picking his
skipper to play in Arsenal’s
Champions League play-off.
That would make him ineligible
for the rest of the campaign if
he swapped clubs.
The midfielder has supposedly
been troubled by a hamstring
injury, but is expected to train
today in front of 10,000 fans at
the club’s open day for members
at the Emirates.
Wenger may also fi eld him in a
friendly with Benfica in Lisbon on
Saturday, again to Barca’s
annoyance.
Arsenal desperately need to
qualify for the Champions League
group stages.
With vice-captain Robin van
Persie and Samir Nasri suspended
for the first leg of the play-off,
Wenger may legitimately feel he
has no option but to call on the
experience of Fabregas.
So although Fabregas, 24, may
get the move he has wanted all
summer, he may have to twiddle
his thumbs every time Barca play
in Europe’s top club event.
Fabregas had hoped the deal
would go through earlier this
week. But Barca president
Sandro Rosell has sent the star
a series of text messages telling
him to stay calm.