Why Cesc must now reward Arsenal fans' loyalty with his own public display of affection

By John Cross

Published 23:02 28/07/10

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The Spanish press has been awash in the last few days with a new round of stories on Cesc Fabregas.

One Catalan paper, Sport, reported that Fabregas has agreed a five year deal worth £29.5m in total. Subject to Arsenal agreeing to sell him, of course.

Others have gone in a different direction, saying that he's signed a pre-contract with Barcelona to join them next summer for the 2011/12 season. It's been repeated all over the internet.

That of course happened with Cristiano Ronaldo. Except that it didn't. Ronaldo didn't sign a pre-contract while still at Manchester United to join Real Madrid a year later.

But it has become almost an urban myth that he did because, after all, he did go to Real Madrid last summer for £80m.

You can bet that the same people who have written about Fabregas's pre-contract will congratulate themselves next summer if the Arsenal captain goes to Barcelona.

But there's a major hitch. Fabregas has five years left on his contract at Arsenal. He can't sign a contract with anyone else. If Arsenal got hold of such a contract they'd sue the hell out of the guilty parties.

Anyone worth their salt would surely check first. Any agent will tell you that a player on a five-year contract can't sign a pre-contract with another club. Any club chief executive would do as well. So will FIFA, UEFA and the FA.

Handshakes are done, verbal agreements are made but pre-contracts are illegal and, ultimately, not worth the paper they are written on.

You can sign pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs in accordance with the Bosman rules, but not if you're tied to a club on a long term contract.

Fabregas clearly wants to go to Barcelona at some stage. Arsenal have played out this chapter of the transfer saga brilliantly by digging in their heels and refusing Barcelona's arrogant approach and "we can take who we like" attitude.

When it first became clear that Fabregas wanted out and had told Wenger so, I must admit I thought he was a goner.

But Arsenal have stayed incredibly dignified while Barcelona have sullied the name of their great club by continually touting themselves in Fabregas's direction.

Now Fabregas will have to come back. The fans will ultimately forgive and forget and not give him a rough ride like Emmanuel Adebayor because, publicly at least, Fabregas has never said he wants to leave. Not outside of his meeting with Wenger.

But now surely is the time for Fabregas to kiss and make up. After all the talk, interviews and cheap shots, now is the time for him to say something publicly to reassure the fans who have stayed so loyal to him.

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