Barcelona save shirt for Cesc Fabregas

Posted Saturday, July 16, 2011 by Dailystar.co.uk

Arsene Wenger will get shirty with Barcelona after it was revealed the cocky Catalans are keeping the No.4 jersey for Cesc Fabregas.

Barca are so confident the Arsenal skipper is joining them they have taken the shirt number away from Thiago.

Their website lists their players in last season’s shirt number order. But although midfield starlet Thiago is sandwiched between No.3 Gerard Pique and No.5 Carles Puyol, the midfielder is the only one of the first 11 players listed not to have an official number.

It is also impossible to use the website to buy a Thiago shirt with a number on it. It is further evidence that Barca expect to have Fabregas in their ranks before their first league fixture of the new season away to Malaga on either
August 20 or 21.

Fabregas, 24, looks bound for the Nou Camp, despite boss Wenger claiming earlier this week he was hopeful
his skipper would stay.

The Spanish World Cup winner has often spoken of the way he idolised Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, who is leading the bid to land him, and even revealed in the past he was his inspiration.

“Pep was a role model for me,” he has said. “I have always played in his position and that’s why I first wore the No.4. He was my footballing hero when I was small.”

The relationship between Arsenal and Barca is at an all-time low, especially after Nou Camp star and Spain team-mate Xavi claimed Fabregas was “suffering” because he has not got his dream move.

Wenger was furious at what he called a lack of respect from Xavi.

But the Frenchman looks destined to lose his captain, with Arsenal set to sell if their asking price of £40m is met.

The saga took a bizarre twist yesterday when Arsenal were accused of “kidnapping” Fabregas.

The mayor of his hometown Senor Estanislau Fors i Garcia insisted Fabregas was being held against his
will by Wenger.

“We want him to come right away, he is experiencing a kidnapping,” said the mayor of Catalan town Arenys de Mar.