Klaus wrote:

Easiest way back to the top is to sign great players. That's pretty much all. This team + Cesc > This team without Cesc.

True.

But we've had better teams with Cesc who have won nothing.

We need several Cesc quality players.

General Mirth wrote:

Tony Montana wrote:

True.

But we've all laughed at Chelsea and Liverpool in the past 8 years.

Goals get me excited first and wins. The good football is secondary for me.

Firstly, I'm quite happy to continue laughing at Liverpool.

Secondly, people had a go at Chelsea for their style. That's not my point. Whatever game plan Chelsea adopt (under a competent manager) is solid and is executed by very good footballers.

I said I agree with you that quality football is more associated with success. You don't have to play beautiful footy to win trophies though. I didn't say you were wrong to laugh at Liverpool either.

We need very good footballers too. We've had them in the past and still failed.

We need more than Cesc and I fear some people are slightly overrating him.

We need a lot of quality in the summer. We'll get a bigger chunk of it by signing Fabregas than we would by signing anyone else who's possibly available. That's what it comes down to for me.

Tony Montana wrote:

We need very good footballers too. We've had them in the past and still failed.

We need more than Cesc and I fear some people are slightly overrating him.

So what? The point is that Cesc would be a fantastic addition to the club. Moreover, like Klaus said, Fabregas is by far and away the best player we'll be linked with this summer.

Klaus wrote:

We need a lot of quality in the summer. We'll get a bigger chunk of it by signing Fabregas than we would by signing anyone else who's possibly available. That's what it comes down to for me.

Agreed. We could do with Cesc plus more quality.

It was the same in 2006-2011 as it is now.

Do you think we'll break our transfer record this summer?

What the Daimler said.
I still think Fabregas was our best post-Invicibles player. We need a number 8 or 10 who can dictate play and chip in with goals. Cazorla, Walcott and Podolski would also be instantly better with this chap around.

I'd love to have him back, can't see it happening though.

This reads like a pipe dream.

It reads like a transfer rumour thread.

anything that makes us competitive again is a pipe-dream, Sam.

actually, if Barca sell him, i can see Ferguson making a bid to bring him in as the Giggs/Scholes replacement.

that would be hilarious - lets see what fabregas and van persie would get up to if management actually cared to surround them with good players and a manager with common sense!

well, we've already seen what Robin can do. so not much of a mystery

Claudius wrote:

actually, if Barca sell him, i can see Ferguson making a bid to bring him in as the Giggs/Scholes replacement.

I can't. Ferguson really doesn't like buying midfielders.

How does the first option clause work? If they put him up for sale and we offer 20-25m and another team offers 35m then how does the clause give us an advantage? Is it only if the offers are equal?

take him back in a heartbeat tbh. a hungry cesc minus bartha dna would be a huge asset. throw in jovetic and our attacking unit is sorted.

Well he's not improved at Barca, he's not gone up a level or really stamped his name in history so what we get is a talented genius question mark.
Surprised at how uncritical the assessment of his return is.
A hungry Cesc? Does such a player exist?
Why would any player want to return to a club that they were desperate to leave in the first place and where they knew nothing but soul crushing failure?
Blind faith on all fronts I guess.
Won't work under Wenger.

Is there ever a transfer rumor nowadays where one can actually think there is a chance of it going through?