Arsene: Sell Nasri & Fabregas And Show Some Ambition

Arsene Wenger’s stance is respectable as well as understandable; keep his two best players at the club, and hope that this season they can bring him some long awaited and much needed success. The problem is, it just doesn’t look realistic.

You’ve got Cesc Fabregas, and by now, we all know where he wants to be. We are told by everyone apart from the man himself who remains hesitant to admit in public his desire to move back home to Barcelona. We are told repeatedly of meetings he has with Wenger, reporting that he has told Wenger where he wants to be, while Barcelona players continue to shamelessly tell us about the Arsenal captains dreams as if they roam his sleeping mind.

Then there’s Nasri, who clearly isn’t too eager to sign a new contract with the club, and is far more interested in immediate success, or the promise of that success with either Manchester United or City – perhaps whoever pays the most.

You can imagine it now: Nasri and Fabregas, stony faced and bringing the dressing room down next season after a loss. Two players who don’t want to be there – one of which who is the captain of the side – it doesn’t bode well in a recipe for success. The captain should really be the personification of commitment and determination, and while Fabregas may put on a good show of that, the players know where his true motives lie.

If Wenger wants to show competing clubs Arsenal’s ambition, he has little option but to sell. Sell, and then re invest very soon. It may not be something the Arsenal manager is used to, but it is something he needs to try; investing heavily in a side in dire need of refreshment.

£35 million from the sale of Fabregas, and £25 million from the sale of Nasri (if they’re lucky) and Arsenal have £60 million to play with. Now I don’t claim to be an expert in Arsenal’s needs, mainly because I’m not, but there are a few players who have been mentioned that I could certainly see improving the side.

Arsenal need a defender or two to sure up that back line – mainly a left back and central defender, considering the departure of Clichy and shakiness of Squillaci, Koscielny and injuries. Chris Samba’s names has cropped up, as has the far more expensive Gary Cahill’s, but what Arsenal need is a reliable, Premier League proven defender, with good, leadership qualities.

Obviously, finding a replacement for Fabregas and Nasri is far harder. They are two qualities very rare in football, and as Arsenal know by the price they are commanding for the pair, value is also hard to come by. But money talks, and with around £40 million left over, it opens a lot of doors for Mr Wenger. This is a man who knows his football, and has surely had his eyes on a couple of players with the thought of Fabregas leaving – after all, it isn’t a sudden decision.

Juan Mata would command a £20 million fee, and with Valencia’s own money problems would be willing to sell. £20 million left over. Who would you bring in? Of course, this would all depend if the Arsenal board would be willing to inject the money made from the hypothetical Nasri and Fabregas sales back into the team for Wenger to do what he pleases.

But it boils down to this: do Arsenal want the money now, when their players are worth around £60 million together, and there clubs are willing to pay that amount, or do they want to squeeze one more season out of two unhappy players with their mind elsewhere. Looks like Wenger’s already made up his mind.

Submitted by DBSFootball