Arsene Wenger has revealed that he turned down the chance to re-sign Cesc Fabregas when he wanted to leave Barcelona because he wanted to use him as an example to other younger players.
Fabregas spent eight years at Arsenal before asking for a return to Barcelona in 2011.
The Gunners didn’t want to sell one of their best players at the time, but he forced their hands and he got his move.
However, after just three years in Catalonia, he wanted a return to the Premier League and the only team he wanted to play for in England was Arsenal.
The Gunners also had an option to get their man back before any English team, but they turned down the offer to sign him and he moved to Chelsea instead, then managed by Jose Mourinho.
He helped the Blues to the Premier League title while the title continues to elude Arsenal.
In an interview with The Athletic as quoted by Metro Sports, Wenger said: ‘It was general guidance for me to make the players realise that if you leave here, you don’t come back.
‘It was a way to retain the players who wanted to see if the grass was greener elsewhere. ‘I did it for Thierry Henry, Sol Campbell, Jens Lehmann but they were different. ‘The young players who left I didn’t like to do it.’
So now people can stop going on about how Cesc lied about wanting to come back to Arsenal but wenger turned it down.
Did you read it. That is exactly what happened. AW just explained WHY he turned him down
Goonster – Everyone and their dog knew that he wanted to come back and AW said no.
But I tell you what those of you who knock Ozil at every opportunity did claim and you seem to have forgotten:
That it was that Ozil was to blame for AW not wanting to bring Cesc as he had just bought him to the club and THAT I do remember clearly…Surely you remember that???
So now people can stop going on about Ozil being the reason for Cesc not coming back, right Goonster?
As for AW’s reason for not resigning him, I find that one of the daftest reasons ever – talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face!!!
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Terrible decision to not resign him! Could have sold Ozil, bought Cesc, and have money left for extra reinvestment for the team. Ozil was very underwhelming in his first season (as was all his seasons with us bar one), so the timing would have been perfect!
It is rather wrong to judge rightly or wrongly what someone else might have decided based on the weight of the options available. Arsene chose to place more weight on not taken back players that forces their way out. why blame him on his action on Cesc and praise him on the same action on RVP who also wanted to come back after forcing his way to man utd?
Ken, I agree wholeheartedly with your last paragraph!
Sad really, Cesc a better player for Arsenal, but I don’t make those decisions.
The only player I can recall Arsenal selling was Martin Keown sold by George Graham to Aston Villa for £200,000 in 1986, then brought back by Graham seven years later from Everton for £2,000,000.
And Harry Macguire sold for how much? 🤔😁