Cesc now set for Arsenal stay

Barcelona President Sandro Rosell; managing Catalan expectations

Positive developments for Arsenal today with the news that Barcelona have hit problems in their proposed move for Gooner’s captain Cesc Fabregas.  IBWM's Jeff Livingstone reports.

Last week, IBWM reported on the seemingly inevitable nature of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas’ move to Barcelona.  To my mind, it looked more a case of when than if; however developments in Catalonia earlier today have cast doubt over Barca’s chances of securing a deal for the player.

Despite reports last week claiming that increased revenues had made Barca ‘the biggest sports team in world’  – the club recorded turnover of over €445m for the last financial year – emergency moves have been made to secure a €150m loan to pay staff and player wages.

This news follows rumors in Spanish financial circles that Barca’s main Television partner, MediaPro, was on the verge of collapse and Barcelona FC was effectively insolvent.  The Catalan club entered into a 7-year €1 billion contract with MediaPro in 2006, but there have been suspicions that the firm had been in difficulties for some time and today it applied for bankruptcy protection.

Speaking via the club’s own website; newly installed president Sandro Rosell, who succeeded Joan Laporta in the role, attempted to reassure socios - the clubs membership - that the Barcelona club itself was not bankrupt, but stated that it would ‘have to finance’.  Rosell admitted that there were cash flow problems at the Camp Nou and confirmed that Barca would be adopting an austerity policy, with restrictions placed on ‘unnecessary’ spending.  Rosell also confirmed that Barcelona had received verbal assurances from MediaPro about payments, but pointed out that the deal was not underwritten by one of Spain’s banks, unlike Real Madrid’s own TV tie up.

With the Catalan region facing severe hardship due to Spain’s own financial problems, it’s difficult to see the situation improving quickly for Barca.  With Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta cemented into their midfield positions; it could be that a move for Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas - unable to displace any of the Barca trio from the current Spanish side - would also fall into the unnecessary spending category.

Having just spent €40m on Valencia’s David Villa, and bidding for €20m for Juan Mata from the same club, Barca are unlikely to be awash with transfer cash.  The potential sales of Yaya Toure - to Manchester City - and possibly Zlatan Ibrahimovic will generate income for Barca, but it remains to be seen whether further cash is reinvested into the first team squad.  It’s worth considering that Dmitry Chygrynskiy was returned to Shakhtar Donetsk this week at a €5m loss to Barca.

 

With Fabregas under contract until 2014, the only chance that Barcelona appear to have in signing the Arsenal captain will rest on whether he is prepared to instigate the transfer himself.  Rosell did add the line that “everyone knows he wants to come here” when referring to Fabregas, but “denied adamantly” that Barca would be prepared to pay €50-60m for the player, with Arsenal unlikely to sell for less.

With the move now looking more of an obsession for Joan Laporta, the more pragmatic Rosell appeared to offer encouragement to Arsenal by managing the expectations of Barca fans, describing publicity for the potential deal for Fabregas as; “the worst thing that could have happened”.

Good news for Arsenal fans, and it could be good news for England if the FA learn from Germany.  Read IBWM's take on this to find out more.