The Fabregas Effect: How Cesc's Sale Affects the Premier League

Cesc Fabregas' return to Barcelona has been one of the most drawn out transfer sagas of recent years. Now, after 18 months of fevered speculation, claims, counter-claims and denials it seems that Arsenal are finally ready to grant their diminutive talisman his dream move. With the two clubs openly negotiating a fee somewhere between £35 and £45 million, the Londoners will risk the ire of their under-fire manager Arsene Wenger by taking the Spanish cash and promising to re-invest the significant fee into the first team. Aside from accelerating Arsenal’s interest in the likes of Ricardo Alvarez and Gervinho, what are the wider implications of this deal, both for Arsenal themselves and their Premier League rivals?

1: Arsene's Arsenal Are a Now Selling Club

A very realistic possibility of the sale is that Wenger's bravado is shaken, leaving him looking weak and powerless in the face of not only the all-conquering Catalans but also Europe's other big guns. His insistence that he is building a team to win the Premier League title evaporates and the club's other star names—Nasri, Arshavin, Van Persie etc—finally lose patience with their floundering manager and the club's increasingly empty promises. With Arsenal now effectively relegated into the league of also-rans, they find it difficult to attract star names, despite having the finances to compete for quality players. Dispirited and disjointed, the club lurches into a key season with concerns over key personnel and lingering question marks over the long-term future of the once untouchable Wenger.  

2: Barca Budget Gone, Sanchez to City?

It has been widely reported that Barcelona are entering a period of relative austerity. Their reported budget of £40 million may just be enough to snare Fabregas but they would find it impossible to sign both Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez, even if they sold the likes of Thiago Encantrada. With Udinese playing hardball over the Chilean's fee, it is looking increasingly likely that big bucks Manchester City will make a huge bid of around £40 million for the player's services. This rocketing price tag effectively removes Manchester United, Inter Milan and Juventus from the bidding. With only Chelsea and City able to compete, Sanchez is forced to choose between the two. 

3: Nasri Becomes the Heartbeat of the Arsenal Side and Signs a New Contract

With Fabregas struggling with injuries, last season saw the brilliant Samir Nasri rise to the fore. The Frenchman lit up the Premier League between August and January, scoring 14 goals and revelling in the freedom of an advanced position in central midfield. When Fabregas is fit, Nasri is generally moved out to the wing, where he is effectively marginalised and can cut a surly, isolated figure. If Fabregas left, Nasri may inherit his chosen position, where he would dictate the play and have a huge influence on games. This change of focus, along with a bumper new deal reflecting his growing stature at the London club, would almost certainly keep him out of Manchester United's eager clutches.

4: Manchester United and Chelsea Go to War over Luka Modric

With Sanchez and Nasri now out of the picture, Sir Alex Ferguson's search for a new midfielder inevitably leads to Totteham Hotspurs' Luka Modric. Despite Spurs' recent public "hands-off", both Ferguson and new Chelsea coach Andre Villas—Boas would see the Croat as an attainable transfer target. United would be unable to match the massive (a reputed £50 million) fee and would attempt to entice Harry Redknapp by offering the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Carrick, Anderson and cash in part-exchange. With Spurs desperate to build a big squad on a small budget it is possible that the wily Redknapp could be persuaded to part with his midfield gem. Chelsea's bid would probably be straight cash, leaving Redknapp with two tempting offers to consider.

5: Arsenal in Crisis as Wenger Resigns over Fabregas

Arsene Wenger has been one of the best manager's in Arsenal's long history. He's the visionary who transformed a prosaic, defensive club into one of England's most attractive teams. However, it is now six years since a Wenger-led Arsenal side won a trophy, and his failure to win silverware is now starting to erode his early success at the club. It is rumoured that Wenger is unhappy with the club's public haggling over Fabregas' price tag, which would make the sale of his prized asset a potentially game-changing disagreement. If Wenger feels he has lost control over the board, and if he senses that he is being undermined over transfers, it is not completely ridiculous to speculate that this could lead to a bitter parting of ways.