Cesc Fabregas: Arsenal Failed To Activate Their Buy-Back Option On Me

By The Editor
on 17th September 2017

Cesc Fabregas hints that he favoured Arsenal return…

Three years since making the controversial move back to England with Chelsea, Cesc Fabregas is still having to offer explanations as to why he didn’t end up back at Arsenal.

Speaking ahead of yet another meeting against his former side, Fabregas claimed that Arsenal refused to act on the buy-back clause inserted into his Barcelona contract once it became apparent that he would leave.

The Spaniard used that decision from the hierarchy at Arsenal as an indication that he wasn’t welcome back at his former home, and thus completed the move to Chelsea.

Fabregas has since won two league titles during his time in west London, although he admits that Arsenal is still a club he’s deeply attached to.

“I feel very attached, even now, to Arsenal,” Fabregas told Sky Sports.

“My feelings for the club, well I don’t have to repeat myself, every single time we play against them because it’s known.”

“Once I made the decision to leave Barcelona, Arsenal had the first option, and Barcelona had the obligation to contact Arsenal first. Then they had a week to basically respond yes or no to the buy-out clause.

“The week passed, Arsenal never responded, never contacted me either, so I took it as them having enough players in their squad, so I made my move to Chelsea.”

Judging by his words, Arsenal was clearly the playmaker’s first choice had he returned to England, though it seems Arsene Wenger had moved on by then.

The boss spent £42million on Mesut Ozil the year before Cesc’s return, and he clearly didn’t see the two functioning well in the same team.