Wenger wearied by Fabregas speculation

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger on Saturday sought to draw a line under persistent speculation linking captain Cesc Fabregas with a return to former club Barcelona.

“There’s been too much talk,” said Wenger. “I’ve always said we really want him to stay. He’s such an important player for us, he’s our captain and we want to keep him.

“That’s why we’re not listening to any offers. We’ve worked hard to have strong young players and we want to keep them.”

Wenger was speaking to Sky Sports News after watching his side begin their pre-season preparations with a comfortable 4-0 win over Barnet.

Fabregas was absent, along with Arsenal’s other World Cup stars, and Wenger said the ongoing rumours about his possible departure were damaging the club.

“I’ve spoken to him, of course. I never come out publicly with what we speak about but I think this story has to stop.

“If you look at all the talk over the (last) season, it was not helpful for Arsenal Football Club.

“I don’t have anything to add to that. What’s important is that Arsenal is a massive club and everyone focuses on next season.”

Barcelona have been openly pursuing Fabregas since the end of last season, but the Catalans’ new club president Sandro Rosell admitted on Friday that the club’s bid to sign him had stalled.

“Arsenal feel very hurt by Barca. They don’t want to listen to offers or sell and they are not putting the player on the market,” he told Catalan television channel TV3.

“He will arrive. Even if it is not now, it will be next year.”

In June, Arsenal rejected a 35-million-euro offer from the Spanish champions for Fabregas, who began his career in Barcelona’s youth academy before joining the English side in 2003 at the age of 16.