Arsene Wenger: Cesc Fabregas Chose Chelsea FC
By Mike Adams
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recently stated that midfielder Cesc Fabregas chose to join Chelsea FC over his former club when returning to the Premier League. Fabregas, the former Gunner captain, made 305 appearances during his time with Arsenal before making a move to his boyhood club Barcelona in 2011. While at the Catalonian club Cesc found difficulty fitting into the established 11 and was often played out of his position making his sought after homecoming less than desirable.
When Jose Mourinho was constructing his side this summer after last season’s trophy less result the Chelsea boss saw the Spaniard as an addition that could take the club to the next level. Beginning negotiations with Barcelona early in the transfer window and agreeing a 33 million Euro transfer fee in June, Fabregas was given ample time to adjust to the new scenery.
Before signing with Chelsea, Fabregas’s former club Arsenal had first option to resign the mercurial midfielder but elected to let him make the move to west London. When asked why he chose not to exercise the clause, Arsene Wenger said, “When he left, we bought Ozil and we already had Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain… We were not in need of offensive players and it makes sense if you look at the balance of the team.”
Only two months into the season, one must wonder if the Arsenal boss regrets not jumping on the chance to have Fabregas back at the club. The Arsenal midfield has been riddled with injuries, something that could’ve been expected after recent years, and going into Saturday’s match against Chelsea they are without Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey and will have to rely upon veteran Mathieu Flamini.
Since his return, Cesc’s performances have helped propel Chelsea to an undefeated start to the campaign. Fitting into the midfield quickly and forming a dynamic partnership with Nemanja Matic, Fabregas leads the Premier League in assists (6) and has been a key in unlocking the attacking prowess of Diego Costa and the other goal scorers at the club.
On Sunday, when the two clubs meet for the first time since the 6-0 drubbing last March, Fabregas will have the chance to show his former club what they missed out on this summer.
Comparison of Fabregas to Arsenal midfielders