Cesc Fabregas left Arsenal to re-join boyhood club Barcelona in 2011, but is this one deal that should never have happened?
The midfielder is currently plying his trade with Chelsea FC back in the Premier League, but has seemingly lost his first-team role to N’Golo Kante this season, and I cant help but think he should be bossing our own midfield.
He is being wasted by new manager Antonio Conte, but on the back of a 100% record since coming to the Premier League, nobody can really argue with his choices.
Arsenal have not started the campaign in the same fashion however, having won only once from their three outings, and I cant help but think things could have been different.
Cesc was given his chance in the first-team by Arsene Wenger back in 2004, although had impressed in 2003 when appearing the League Cup, but was not given a Premier League outing as the club went onto win the division without losing a single match.
The following year he made a huge 33 PL appearances, scoring twice, and quickly became a fans favourite with a string of impressive displays over a number of years. His exit was devastating, and neither of us can really be happy about the years that followed.
Cesc joined Barcelona, but was used sparingly as he was overlooked in favour of club legends Iniesta and Xavi, and left his boyhood club with only one Spanish Cup and one Primera Liga to boast.
Arsene Wenger surprisingly turned down their first-option on bringing the former club captain to the club, and he returned to the Premier League with rivals Chelsea instead, which again, hurt Arsenal fans.
Yes he went onto lead the Blues to win the English top division, a winners medal which eluded him in his stint with us previously, but after dropping to a tenth placed team in the following year, and now finding himself sat on the bench, I cant help but think he should still be donning our famous red shirt.
Our captaincy has also been passed around like a hot potato since his departure, and I cant help but think he could have led us back to the title already had he stayed, and been central to our progress.
Was Wenger’s biggest failure not convincing Fabregas to stay put? Or was it even worse to turn down the option to re-sign him in 2014?
Pat J