Cesc Fabregas Has No Choice But To Stay at Arsenal

Good morning/afternoon from a rather warm Dublin.

First of all, I have to apologise for yesterday's lack of a blog but due to circumstances beyond my control it was impossible for me to put anything together. Luckily it was also a very, very quiet day for Arsenal news and I'll do my best to make up for it today.

With our next preseason friendly tomorrow evening against Neusiedl 1919, the players are continuing their hard work to get their fitness levels up to the required level for the long season that is ahead of them. There were more pictures of that training on the club site over the weekend and yet again Almunia was included in them. 

We were told he missed the game at Barnet due to illness, but there was no mention of him after last week's game against Graz even though he trained and didn't play. It's a very curious situation with rumours abounding that he is unhappy at being frozen out of the team.

Perhaps we will get the manager's thoughts on the subject after tomorrow's game, but I doubt it very much. I know it means the other keepers get a chance to show what they can do but you have to think that the longer he is out of the team, the less likely he is to be in the reckoning for the new season.

We continue to be linked with Schwarzer, Akinfeev, Stekelenburg, Mertesacker and Jagielka in the media and Ozil's name has come up again too. Personally, I would be happy if we signed Mertesacker but the only way I can see us signing Ozil is if the unthinkable happens and Cesc is sold to Barcelona.

I suppose any of those keepers would be an improvement on our current options as the season draws nearer.

There has been talk of Cesc possibly handing in a transfer request, but if he did that Arsenal could refuse it or sell him to the highest bidder. I don't imagine that Real Madrid or Man City could be outbid by Barcelona and Cesc would be left with a choice of joining either of those clubs or staying at Arsenal.

He couldn't possibly imagine that Arsenal would accept a lower bid from Barcelona and it would leave his standing among the Arsenal fans in ruins if he were to stay after requesting a transfer.

With Barcelona incapable of paying the going rate for him and Arsenal unwilling to sell anyway, I can't see any scenario where he will be leaving this summer. That's good news as far as I'm concerned and I'm sure the vast majority of Arsenal fans will feel the same way too.

I just hope Cesc has enough sense to work all that out himself and leave his ambitions to join Barcelona until another time.

An Arsenal side made up of youngsters and players who didn't travel to Austria was beaten 4-1 by Welling United on Saturday afternoon despite taking an early lead through Gavin Hoyte. It was a preseason game and not too much can be read into these games but hopefully they will improve before their next outing against Dagenham and Redbridge on Wednesday night. 

A few of the players have being speaking ahead of the new season but to be honest all they are saying is what you usually hear. Both Koscielny and Djourou spoke on the club site about relishing the prospect of the new season, the physical aspect of the game in England and wanting to do well in the coming season.

I'm still not sure how either of them will do alongside Vermaelen at the back but a partnership has to be built and we need it to work well if we are to challenge this season.

Here's a few goals from Frank McClintock.

See You Tomorrow.