What goes around comes around? The story of Arsenal, Barca and Cesc

So, people are moaning about the way Barcelona are pursuing Cesc Fabregas. ‘It’s wrong’, ‘they should be fined’, ‘they can’t do that’, ‘he won’t leave’. Just a number of comments I’ve seen across Arsenal forum’s online. Well, let’s be realistic here, was it not Barcelona that Arsenal prized Fabregas away from in the first place? Could it be that Arsenal fans are beginning to panic that their star man might be tempted by a team who have won 6 trophies in one year, just one less than Arsenal have managed in the last decade? Or it could be that, quite simply, tapping up of players is forbidden by FIFA and the Arsenal faithful have every reason to be annoyed?

There is no point sitting here debating the reasons as to why Barcelona might be tempting to a young Spaniard. They are simple, Barcelona’s record speaks for itself, a move back to the country where you were born would be tempting for anybody and, quite frankly, Arsenal are not delivering trophies.

An interesting point would be whether Cesc should go to Barca. He is already behind Xavi and Iniesta in the pecking order for Spain, so a move to the Camp Nou would seemingly spell out the same story. Unless he is willing to take on a defensive role which would restrict his forward runs, the runs that have made him so good this season, then he may have a chance.

Another question would be whether Arsenal fans really have a right to be aggrieved with the Catalan’s for their persistence? After all, they did technically steal him from Barca when he was a teenager. Likewise with Fran Merida, another youngster who joined Arsenal ‘controversially’ due to Spanish rulings which prevent clubs from offering contracts to players under the age of 18.

It’s not only Arsenal who took advantage of this rule. I seem to remember a certain Gerard Pique joining Manchester United at a young age.

Ok, so ‘legally’ the clubs did nothing wrong. They were able to offer something that Barca couldn’t, and in doing so signed some of the best youth around. In the case of Fab, Barcelona are also ‘technically’ not doing anything wrong. Flirting with a player is not part of the FIFA restrictions, nor is telling your players to announce how happy they would be if he joined them in the Catalan capital.

If the saying is correct and what goes around really does come around then Arsenal should start worrying. United signed Pique, then sold him for around £6million, and are now seeing one of the best defender’s in Europe strut his stuff while they leak goals. Justice is a word that comes to mind. None the less, a worrying sign for Arsenal. Will Arsenal fans really have a right to complain? For sure, an interesting summer beckons as the club awaits its fate.