La Liga News 24/7
Guest Writer Jamie McGregor from Spanish Football.Info joins us to talk about Cesc.
One of the longest running transfer sagas of recent times has finally come to an end. Like the Cristiano Ronaldo to Madrid saga, the Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona tale has ended with the La Liga club getting their man. However, while few in the world of football questioned Madrid's purchase of Ronaldo, a considerable number of fans in both Spain and England have criticised the deal to bring Fabregas back to Barcelona. From the Barcelona point of view, there are some who ask whether Fabregas was a necessary signing. Sure, he's a great player but Barcelona already have great players, particularly in midfield. Also, with Thiago shining at the European Under 21 Championships, there is a ready made alternative to Cesc waiting in the wings. Basically, there is an argument that the money could have been better spent on other areas of the team. Indeed, in a poll carried out by Barcelona daily El Mundo Deportivo, support amongst Barcelona fans for signing Fabregas was around 33%, not exactly overwhelming. So that begs the question, was Fabregas the right move for Barcelona? For me the answer is an overwhelming yes for 5 main reasons.
1. You can never have too much quality. Firstly and most importantly, in Cesc Fabregas, Barcelona have bought a world class player. Although the transfer fee was high, the club know they are buying the finished article. This is the main difference with Thiago who, although showing sings of great potential, still has some way to go in his development. So while it may be true that Barcelona already have top quality players, particularly in the midfield, you can surely never have too many? What's more, modern football is less of a team game than a squad game and with the Spanish champions competing in six different tournaments next season there'll be no player who plays every match. Guardiola's philosophy since he took over is to have a strong, core group of 16, backed up with promising youngsters and in that sense Fabregas certainly strengthens the system.
2. Easy integration. Whenever a club buys a new player, particularly one costing 30 million euros, it's fundamental that the player can adapt and integrate smoothly with his new club. By this I don't just mean the playing style of the club but also that he can get on with his team mates and manager as well as adapt to a new culture and language. After the fiasco that was the Ibrahimovic deal, Guardiola has been careful to pick players who not only have the footballing ability to play for Barcelona but the mentality too. The signing of David Villa was a good example of this approach and Fabregas is a no brainer in that sense. Everyone knows the Fabregas story, everyone knows his desire to play for Barcelona and live in Catalonia. Through his time in the club's youth system and his involvment with the Spanish national team, Fabregas is already friends with the majority of the Barcelona team. Indeed, his twitter banter with Piqué and Puyol is well documented. His relationship with Guardiola is also very good and there's no doubt that his singing will strengthen rather than divide the dressing room.
3. The importance of identity. As everyone knows, Barcelona define themselves as a more than a club. While this may rile some who see it as self-righteous and arrogant, to those who've lived in and understand Catalonia there is undoubedtly a level of truth in that statement. It was therefore to the Barcelona critics' delight and the traditionalists' displeasure when the club signed a historic, multi-million euro sponsorhsip deal with the Qatar Foundation. To some it was an example of the club's hipocrisy while to others it was a betrayal of the club's principles. It's for that reason that the incorporation of Cesc Fabregas, a Catalan and boyhood supporter is so important. After Valdés, Piqué, Puyol, Xavi, Busquets and of course Guardiola, Fabregas becomes the seventh high profile Catalan to join the side. While it won't make up entirely for the Qatar deal, it will go some way towards appeasing those who feared the club was losing part of its identity.
4. Look to the future. 30 million euros may seem like a lot of money for a player who's not guaranteed a game but at 24 years of age, Fabregas will be part of the Barcelona set up for years to come. Cesc's main problem may be the same as his problem at international level, removing one of Busquets, Iniesta and Xavi. The latter of the three is a player Fabregas has been compared to the most. Xavi is the brain of the Barcelona team but he's 31. While he's not exactly on his last legs, he is carrying a long-term, recurring injury and won't physically be able to play every single week. Resting Xavi is always hard but with a replacement of the quality of Fabregas it's much easier. Interestingly enough, it wasn't until Xavi was around 24 that he started to regularly play 36 league games a season. That was due to the presence of a certain Josep Guardiola. If Xavi was the successor to Guardiola then Fabregas is the heir to Xavi throne.
5. The last big signing before UEFA financial fair play? Like many big clubs, Barcelona is carrying a hefty debt that will have to be brought under control soon, especially with UEFA's proposed financial fair play rules. You might wonder how spending 30 million will achieve that? It won't, but it's a last throw of the dice before they really do need to cut the debt. Vicepresident Javier Faus has already stated the club's plan to be the most financially solvent club in the world in two or three years. That almost certainly means Fabregas will be the last big money signing and for the reasons above, the most logical.
Posts
