Lionel Messi has stated that he is confident that Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas will return to Barcelona (Barcelona 7/2f to win the Champions League).
The Argentine forward, who lit up the Nou Camp last season, was speaking to Cuatro, a Spanish television station, and has become the latest star name to enter the ongoing saga.
Fabregas himself has made it no secret that he would like to return to Barcelona after starting his career there as a youth-team player. He moved to North London in 2003 and admitted on Friday that he is torn between playing for the two clubs he loves.
The midfielder has many friends at the Catalan giants, many of whom graduated through the La Masia academy with him. They have spent a large amount of the summer pleading with him to return and Messi is the latest star name to add his opinion.
He said: “It is no secret that Cesc is my friend. The whole world knows that and I would love him to sign for Barca.
“I hope that the matter can be resolved soon and I’m confident that in the end it will be resolved in the way that Cesc can be a Barcelona player.”
The story has been the most enduring of the summer, along with the potential transfer of another Spaniard – Fernando Torres at Liverpool.
Fabregas still has five years remaining on his Gunners contract and manager Arsene Wenger has challenged him to help Arsenal win the silverware that he so desperately craves (Arsenal 7/1 to win the Premier League).
However, it appears that that Arsenal boss is starting to lose patience, challenging the Spanish star to make up his mind regarding his future. After Arsenal’s first Emirates Cup game on Saturday, Wenger admitted that “In the last six months, this story has made our lives difficult” before insisting that only Fabregas can put an end to the speculation.
Wenger surmised: “Only Fabregas can clear the air when he comes back from holiday.
“I cannot master what is written in the newspapers, I can only master our decisions.
“Cesc has five years to go [on his contract] and that’s it.
“The speculation does not stop – who can stop the speculation? Only Cesc, that is how I feel.”
He also spoke of his frustration regarding the whole saga by saying: “He has not played today, we have just played a football game and I sit here speaking about Fabregas.”
Fabregas is currently on an extended break following his World Cup exploits in South Africa, exploits which were fruitful as Spain won the tournament. They have now been installed as 7/2 favourites to win the 2012 European Championships in Poland and the Ukraine.
Seeing the success that his former academy colleagues are enjoying at Barcelona – who won La Liga last season – clearly holds huge sway for the Arsenal captain yet how this saga plays out remains unclear.
Gunners fans will be hoping that he does stay at the Emirates but this story is likely to rumble on and on even if he does.
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