I think it’s time we let our Cesc go.

Ah the summer. It’s filled with the usual rites of passage. Blooming flowers, oppressive heat waves, meaningless friendlies and of course will Cesc Fabregas leave Arsenal for Barcelona.

Friends, I now begrudingly have acccepted the reality that I think it is time all of us – and I include the uber devoted fans – come to the realization that Cesc Fabregas doesn’t want to play for the Gunners any longer.  His desire is to move to the land of his birth and the club that began his professional journey.  We have and are only delaying the inevitable. We should all remember –  no one person is greater than the club. That includes our current captain.

This club existed (and won) before Cesc Fabregas and the club will exist (and win) long after Fabregas leaves the green fields of London Colney. It’s hard I know. Break ups usually are. We’re torn. We don’t want to be alone. I mean it would leave us so empty. No one could possibly replace our Cescy could they?

No, they can’t. And that’s a good thing. The identity of the club for the last six years has been structured around the Spanish midfield maestro. The players that were brought in, it was hoped would feed deliciously off his delicate and pinpoint passing, thus leading the Gunners to victory – eventually. But sadly it hasn’t happened that way. The club has lost it’s spine and as Patrick Vierra said recently, we play the best, most beautiful football but we lack the toughness.

This next statement is going to strike at the very core of our club – but as much as Wenger is at fault for building this version of the club this way, Cesc is at fault for pretty much being the fulcrum for our lack of toughness. Sorry, I call it like I see it. He is such a talented player but at times he cries to the ref far too much, he doesn’t have the steel for the English midfield, and with him at our heart we’ve suffered more than we’ve been elated. He has had moments that made me question this. There have been moments of fortitiude where he has risen to the occassion – playing with a broken leg  and basically telling Tony Pulis to STFU last season. But for the most part, he is a Spainard and tends to play like he still is in Spain.

Cesc has been a loyal and valuable soldier for us. But let’s be real for a moment, it hasn’t exactly worked. And the players as much as Wenger bear the responsibility for that. Maybe then, it is time to move on. We’re starting to see some of the players that were brought to support Cesc get out of here. A lot of the “young gunners” who would never make it were promptly shipped out at the end of the season, Denilson will never return from Brazil, depending on the day of the week it is Nicklas Bendtner is on his way to one if not all of the Bundesliga clubs and something seems to be taking forever with Manuel Almunia’s move to Ateltico Madrid (maybe they know he sucks too?). Slowly the club is going to change – to an extent. I am convinced now more than ever that Cesc’s departure has to be part of that transition.

We’ve relied so long on his presence to get us out of jams and for the longest time we didn’t do so well. But there are now  players emerging within  the squad and that are available out of it that could help give the club a new direction and maybe some needed grit. Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Samir Nasri to some extent suffer with Cesc in the squad. They are all still very talented players and their talent wins out some time but with Cesc in the lineup you get the sense he inhibits some of their own natural ability. Is it any coincidence that Nasri’s dip in form conincided with Cesc’s return to the club last season? Nasri scored goals continually when Cesc was out of the lineup – in it – he was a shell of his former self.

The Big Caveats:

Of course there are caveats. As with anything in life if we are going to sell Cesc there have to be two very big conditions to it. First, Barcelona have to pay fair value for the player. For me that means either paying the full value established by the club of £40 million or a comparable mixture of money and a player or players. Barcelona can preen all it wants to about Cesc’s value declining. The cost is the cost and if Barcelona want him they should pay it.

Second, the money brought in by Cesc’s sale has to immediately go towards replenishing the squad. Whether its finding another creative mid or supporting our defencive efforts, the money gained would be enough to bring in quality players. It would go a long way to filling gaps that are still very evident in the club. This cannot be a sale where money either goes into some sort of lock box or into the kitty it needs to go right back into the most tagnible of assets for the club – players.  I still believe the club will be active in the market for the month of August and they could only enhance their dealings if they sell Cesc and turn it right around for the betterment of the club.

Finally,maybe we owe it to Cesc to let him go. He has been here for us for 8 years. He’s still young but he has logged a lot of miles for the red and white. I am always up for rewarding loyal servants – even if we haven’t won something with them. Cesc’s heart no longer seems to be with Arsenal. I don’t doubt his affinity for the club or his desire not to see the club “harmed” through this whole ordeal. The fact remains though it is harmed and we won’t recover from it until he is actually gone. Again, some honesty, if he’s here next summer, we’re only going to go through this all over again – it is a rite of passage after all.

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