Fabregas' Move To Barcelona Not Likely Until August

After years of rumors and ostentatious courting by FC Barcelona management, Midfielder Cesc Fabregas has informed Arsenal FC Manager—Arsene Wenger— that he would like to leave the team this summer. 

Wenger —often noted for his unique transfer policy— frequently waits until deadline day prior to finalizing transfers. A recent example is Andrei Arshavin's transfer to Arsenal in 2009. The bid for Arshavin was accepted by his former club —FC Zenit St. Petersburg—with less than an hour left in the January 2009 transfer window.

Since using deadlines as leverage in negotiations prevents discussion from developing further, it is a tactic used in many arenas other than soccer. Why would soccer be the exception?

Barcelona have made clear that securing Fabregas is their number one priority this offseason. Why then, would Arsenal have any interest in accepting a transfer prior to the start of the 2010 World Cup —set to start in June?

In addition, Fabregas and Barcelona have made it clear that they want this deal done as soon as possible. But then again, why wouldn't they?

It is in Arsenal's best interests to fight Barcelona for the next three months, just to see how much their offer raises. Their current bid of £30 million is a joke.

The only downside of the wait is that Arsenal will not have their central midfield sorted until later on in the offseason.  Considering the upside opportunity to hang onto Cesc or collect a substantially higher fee, I argue that the risk of waiting is worth it.

On the downside for the fans, it is looking increasingly likely that this will be the saga of the summer. We will be reading headlines about Cesc Fabregas' transfer until August.