New Barcelona manager Gerardo Tata Martino on Saturday offered the press his latest take on the Cesc Fabregas will-he-wont-he saga.
He said, after Barcelona’s pre-season 8-0 victory over Santos, that it is up to the player. He goes on to say that he wants him to stay, but also intimated (even at this stage) that he is not privy to Cesc’s intentions.
“I’ve talked to Cesc, I explained him my idea.
“Of course we want him to stay, he’s one of the best in the squad, so it’s up to him.”
Now, just one day later, Javier Faus, Barcelona’s Financial Vice President has stated that Fabregas will not be returning to the Premier league this summer.
Obviously, he is countering a fans revolt after Martino’s admission yesterday that Cesc’s future is up to Cesc himself.
Faus said: ”It’s a theme in sports. He has a contract, the club and the coach want him to stay.
“Come on, he will stay. The interest is real. but we have no intention of letting him go.”
“Come on, he will stay...”, it sounds like he’s almost trying to convince himself and exert some indirect influence on Fabregas too.
So, Martino’s words ring in one’s ears again “...so it’s up to him”.
Does that sound like Barcelona have left the decision on Fabregas’s future up to the player himself?
It sounds ultimately confusing to the outsider. If theres one thing definite about Barcelona’s stance, it is that there is NOTHING definite about it. These are very definite mixed messages coming from Barcelona’s board. It very definitely sounds like they could be influenced to sell.
Barcelona’s only worry here is how they manage the Fans reaction to the sale of Fabregas.
It is NOT the matter of keeping him at the club.
The other influencing factors here are:
Neymar’s purchase cost the club a whopping €57M.
Barca have renewed contracts this summer at considerable cost.
Barca NEED a defensive player badly. And with figures such as €40M being bandied about for the likes of David Luiz, then one can see (very clearly) why the confusion, turmoil & mixed messages are coming from Barcelona’s hierarchy.