It’s not Cesc’s time to move on + The Cannon is 4 today 18 May, 2010

I’ve come home today to see news breaking everywhere that Cesc is off to Barcelona after a meeting with Arsene Wenger. Nothing has been confirmed, nobody knows the truth but a lot of people are running around like headless chickens. I will admit I am concerned but I have by no means conceded to losing our captain. He recently said he wants to get his future sorted before the World Cup which surprised me when he’s committed himself to us so many times:

“I want to make a decision about my future before the World Cup. It’s impossible to perform at a tournament such as the World Cup if you’re not fully focused on the sporting aspects of the game. It does not benefit anyone.

If I ever leave Arsenal it will be to play for Barcelona. I would like to go, whether they want me or not is another matter. I am 23 years old and I have a long career in front of me. I’ve never hidden the fact that playing for Barcelona is a dream that I would like to fulfil.

I’m very happy at Arsenal. I’m in no hurry to leave the club. Barcelona are still playing for the Liga title and I’m still an Arsenal player. It would be a lack of respect to discuss a transfer now.

No candidates for the Barcelona presidency have approached me, so I don’t feel used.”

I find it very weird reading that, it doesn’t sound like it’s something he would say and it’s completely contradictory. The bit about one day joining Barcelona is nothing we haven’t heard before, so is his confirmation he’s happy at Arsenal but I don’t know what he’s talking about sorting his future out before the World Cup. Unless he wants to sort out a new deal or he wants to leave now then I don’t know why he would say that.

News is breaking all over the net that he’s said he wants to move on already and apparently today he’s told Wenger he wants to go to Barcelona. We’ve heard these sort of rumours come out before but today seems like the worst it’s ever been. I usually would just wave these stories off as nonsense but when it’s so widespread as it is and you have respectable journalists such as John Cross confirming he could be off I start to get worried.

In the next few days or weeks I’m sure we’ll find out just how true these stories are and I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say I hope they’re not true. I would be absolutely gutted if Cesc moved on already; I’m ready to let him go one day but not now. I just feel it’s not his time to go, we’re so close to fulfilling our potential at Arsenal and I know Cesc wants to lift a trophy for Arsenal as much as we do. I just don’t get why he’d give up on us now, he would have to truly believe we’re not ever going to make it and to be perfectly honest without our captain we really are going to struggle to reach those heights.

There’s nothing we can do but wait until we get some official confirmation on this. If it’s all bollocks again I’m sure Fabregas will be pretty pissed off at having to declare his commitment yet again but it’s not us doing this it’s the Spaniards. I’m genuinely praying that Cesc stays, if only for just one more year. Please Cesc, not now.

Lets move on shall we and Chamakh is ‘understood’ to be in London holding talks with us. So basically that could mean anything, no ones spotted him in England or anything just someone ‘understands’ that he’s here, great. I’m sure he will be over at some point in the near future to discuss a possible move.

I’ve been writing The Cannon for four years today and to be honest it’s not the happiest birthday I’ve had! All this uncertainty about Cesc has got me worried. Apologies for another barren week on the blog, it’s been a busy seven days for me but I’m back now, so thanks for sticking by. Thanks to everyone that reads the blog and hopefully we’ll be celebrating the 5th birthday with a few more bottles of champagne and with Cesc Fabregas still on the books.

Whatever happens though I’ll still be here this time next May, talking crap about Arsenal never mind who plays for us and where our season ends up. That’s the quality thing about football, shit happens but you know the club will always exist and that’s all that matters at the end of the day – being a Gooner.

Thanks for reading the past four years. Speak to you soon.