Could Arsenal Have Accommodated Cesc Fabregas and Mesut Ozil?

Although Cesc Fabregas is currently plying his trade at Chelsea, it’s not unreasonable to suggest he would rather be at Arsenal.

Fabregas has a special bond with the Gunners. He joined them as a teenager from Barcelona and rose through the ranks to become club captain. Few players have captured the imagination of the Arsenal supporters like the Catalan playmaker. He played with poise and passion in an Arsenal shirt. Although he had been born far away, he felt like one of the club’s own.

It didn’t last. The call of home became too loud for Fabregas to ignore, and he eventually left Arsenal to go back to Barcelona. However, when he elected to leave the Nou Camp this summer, Fabregas was in no doubt about his destination. Speaking to The Sun (h/t ESPN), Fabregas said:

"

When I left Arsenal I went with the mentality that I would always stay at Barcelona and I would never leave, but things changed for me there and this summer I called them and told them I wanted to leave.

After my mind was made up it was then all about finding the best option for me and I decided to come back to England. I was always going back to the Premier League because, to me, there's no other league around the world that's better than it.

"

In the past, many assumed that if Fabregas ever left Barcelona it would be to return to Arsenal. After all, the Gunners had included a "first refusal" clause in the deal to take him back to La Liga. If Fabregas were ever to become available, Arsenal would have the right to step to the head of the queue of suitors.

Yet this summer, Arsene Wenger declined to enter the bidding. Fabregas confirms:

"

Arsenal had the first option -- it was written in the contract -- and so they could have said 'yes' but they decided not to. They told me now Ozil was there, there was no need for me.

That's life. No problem. We move on. Life moves on. Football moves on.

"

Just because Arsenal told Fabregas that Mesut Ozil’s presence at the club prohibited a potential return doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the case. Perhaps Fabregas burnt his bridges when forcing through his departure from the Emirates Stadium. Fabregas’ admission that he hasn’t spoken to Arsene Wenger in some time suggests there may be more to this story than meets the eye. 

Chris Brunskill/Getty Images

For now, the quotes have to be taken at face value. Having made Ozil the club’s record signing, it’s understandable that Wenger should want to build his side around the mercurial German.

However, that shouldn’t necessarily have precluded Wenger from making a move for Fabregas. It is a tired adage, but you really can’t have too many good players. Given that Ozil has spent much of the early part of the season playing on the left-hand side, Fabregas could easily have slotted in to a central spot.

Alternatively, he could have played as part of a deeper double pivot. In most of his Chelsea appearances to date, Fabregas has played alongside Nemanja Matic at the base of the Chelsea midfield, with Oscar floating further ahead. He could easily have fulfilled the same function at Arsenal. 

Ozil and Fabregas are different players. What’s almost certain is that they both have the class and intelligence to find a way to dovetail. 

The first few weeks of the season suggested that Wenger had made a grave error. Fabregas started his Chelsea career like a man on a mission, immediately striking up a brilliant understanding with Diego Costa. Meanwhile, on the other side of London, Ozil was struggling to find form and fitness in the wake of the World Cup. Arsenal fans could be forgiven for questioning their manager's judgement. 

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

However, there was encouragement for Ozil and Arsenal in Arsenal’s latest fixture at Villa Park. Restored to his preferred No. 10 spot, Ozil produced his best performance of the season. He will need to continue to perform at that level if he is to keep the critics from focusing in on Wenger's decision.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout the 2014/15 season. Follow him on Twitter here.