Arsenal News 24/7Writer: Nick Simmonett 
Date:Monday July 2 2007
Time: 2:00PM
UK time is: 08:17:28
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Cesc Not Interested In Real Or Barca
On the day that Arsenal fans got their second signing of the summer, there was some more fantastic news for us Gooners.
Cesc's agent has confirmed that the little midfield man intends to stay at Arsenal, despite the departure of captain Thierry Henry.
Speculation over Fabregas' future has refused to go away since last summer, with both Real Madrid and Barcelona said to be interested in Cesc.
Speaking to The BBC Joseba Diaz said: 'These stories are normal but there is absolutely no truth in them whatsoever.
'Cesc is happy for Thierry as they are friends. But he can't wait to start the season, he is a key man for Arsenal.'
'Thierry was a very important player for them and it is normal that now he is no longer there, everyone thinks it is very bad news for the club.
'But Arsenal are going to buy a lot of good players and they are going to be a major team both in the Premier League and Champions League.
'Without Thierry, Cesc is one of the best players at Arsenal and this is fine for him, he is happy with the responsibility.
'At the moment Cesc is on holiday, but he is very excited about the new campaign.'
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Your Comments
So, none of em wanted him then? Eventho his Agent desperately tried to sell him.
Blue is the colour
Cue loads of numpties telling is it aint true. Cesc seem to be intelligent, move to Barca/Real would be detrimental to his career atm.
saisho
You're on one today aren't you BITC(H)?
simmy8_2000
Love the fact that he definitively states we WILL buy lots of good players, please.
AFC85Lew
watta gr8 daY
!!!
HENRY`14
yeh thats right blue,like you cant sell drogba and fat frank,they only want to leave before they die of boredom.
ronaldino
As a United fan,I hope your replace Henry with a quality player and I'm glad your your keeping Fabregas.There is nothing more boring than a two horse race.
SweetLeftFoot
Don't want to sound like I'm teaching granny to suck eggs Simmo, but Da Silva is our third signing this summer. Fabianski and Nordveit were first and second. It's great news about Cesc though!
flv
Cesc is the real deal! Scary to think that this young maestro will get even better!
Andy-bayor
Ok, ok, "second major signing of the summer."
simmy8_2000
Heehee, cheers Sim! I can go back to sleep again now! 8-)
flv
haha. Glad I could be of service to you. ;-)
simmy8_2000
LOL Simmy... Take it like a man... Chin up. He is our 3rd signing of the summer! They are few enougjh as they are, no need diminishing them...
Exactly where does Fabianski get off being a major signing and Nordveit isnt? Give the guy his due LOL
TeamSpirit
on topic, I am also glad Cesc came out and said that, not becase I believed he was actually going, but rather because its always good to have what you strongly feel is true actually confirmed as such.
TeamSpirit
Fabianski is 6 years older than Nordviet, and tipped to challenge Lehmann this season, that's where he gets off being a major signing. :-P
simmy8_2000
LOL. Weeellll? I guess. but he is only tipped. As long as Almunia is still on our books, I doubt he will be number 2 this seasn. Just my thoughts though. I think he will take a season to learn his trade in the carling cup first off.
TeamSpirit
Cesc is the first name on our team sheet for the forseeable, the team should be designed around him
GunnerBlood
I like the fact that we are/will be seen as underdogs in the EPL this year. With the right attitude and preparations, everyone will be eating their own words - the press, Drogba, Fat Martin Jol...
G4L
That's got to be the news of the summer for you!
sandgroanun
Andy-Bayor, you started writing your masterpiece yet?? You know you're going to lose this bet!!
Ashburton Gooner
I hope they continue to write us off, it will hurt all the more when it returns to haunt them.
GunnerBlood
My thoughts too G4L! The first sign of action at ours and I'm already adopting a "Bring it on Mutha!" mentality! Now if only Wenger could sign one more "super super" name I can get this Ashburton Gooner off me back lol!
Andy-bayor
I think AG is actually a very reasonable, realistic Gooner from what I have read from him. He lacks a bit of optimism from time to time but some of us have it too much sometimes. It's all good if you ask me. More signings to follow - probably someone that has not been linked to AFC. Arsene, the Legend.
G4L
At last something to cheer about - Every Cloud has a Silva lining!! You heard it here first!!
Emkay
Great news for gooners worldwide. I'm confident that Dudu and Fabianski will both be great for us for years to come from what i have seen of them, but one more forward/winger wouldnt hurt. What i dont get is why are some gooners bitching about our signing these two but think Nani and Anderson will set the premiership alight? Nani and Anderson may come with more expectations but are definetly alot further from the finished product than Dudu and Fabianski and will have to adapt to the style and conditions of English football, whereas coming from Croatia and Poland respectively the toughness and weather should be no problem for our new boys.
Ozi Gooner
Not dismissing AG at all G4L, I'm just getting nervous in case the bugger wins!
Andy-bayor
G4L, thanks for that. My posts just come across as negative, there not actually meant to be. I've never been any good at expressing myself with words so I just make do............A-b, you made this bet & kept going on at me (in a jokey way, of course), so just making sure you keep it at the front of your mind. Don't forget the bet was made prior to Henry's sale, so arsenal have to spend at least 35 million for you not to lose!!! lol, you know its gonna happen!!
Ashburton Gooner
Front of my mind? I went and plastered it in the Forum (Open Terrace) for anyone to see! Let's not argue about the extent of spending required - if we disagree, we'll have to make a poll up to sort it out lol! Now thats cleared up, in all seriousness, its just not possible and I don't care to second-guess what Arsene does next.
Andy-bayor
Ozi you are spot on about the ability of the guys to adapt coming fro m where they are coming from; not sure the weather in London is really tougher than these...
And G4L, i truely think AW is a legend when it comes to signing someone not linked... I always give up on a player as soon as he is heavily linked to Arsenal; its almost a sure sign that we wont sign him.
Baptista is almost an exception and he didnt coem over in th eyear he was linked either...
TeamSpirit
Nobody can second guess Wenger as you say!! But speculating is the whole reason these sites (vital etc) have traffic..........Now moving on, who is lying about the fee agreed for Eduardo?? I think arsenal have a reason to mislead, but don't understand why zagreb would need to!!
Ashburton Gooner
AG, what's the bet with AndyB?
G4L
Nobody is lying AG, it can only be some over-eager reporter who mis-translated "from the 24m Euros they got for Henry".
Andy-bayor
Well according to sky Zagreb are insisting it was 16.25 million pounds & arsenal that it was 8 million pounds. Someone's telling porkies!! G4L, I said arsenal wouldn't spend out big money & Andy-Bayor reckons we will. If he wins I have to write a comical piece about falling in love with PHW in the transfer window & if I win he has to write a piece, but I've forgotten what the titles are supposed to be!!
Ashburton Gooner
positive news.. wenger has once again done it with no fanfare watsoever.. lets just wake up to another headlines of tevez joining arsenal.. that'll make a gr8 summer
McGooner
LOL should be a hell of a read, whoever wins. What is 'big money' for you two anyway? AW standards or fergusmoan standards? And AGAIN, there is NO WAY in the world that Dinamo got more than 12 mil (euros) for Eduardo. Their highest transfer fee was Balaban to Aston Villa for 8 mil euros, and they just said that Eduardo topped it - not doubled it and surely not tripled it.
G4L
lol sounds like a gr8 bet... i wont take sides lets watch it unfold...
like g4l says whats big money?
TeamSpirit
Well we didn't actually discuss what the money was. I said arsenal wouldn't sign big names like ribery etc & Andy-B said we would. The reason I said we wouldn't is because I don't believe arsenal will pay out the big amounts it requires to get such players. However this bet was made prior to Henry leaving, so by my reckoning arsenal need to sign two big names now (hence the 35 million I mentioned earlier), otherwise one name coming in is just compensating for the sale of henry!! Of course I will accept I have lost if we only sign 1 big name that costs 35 million on his own, or even 5-6 not so well known players that cost a damn sight more than we make in sales!! I can't be fairer than that!!
Ashburton Gooner
this signing is worth at least 3 signings because this player will emulate scholes as the best attacking midfielder in the premiership. he maybe already has. but he might start off form because of his vision 2 find henry will have 2 change 2 suit van persie and dudu. o yer AND TEVEZ!!!! lol
daveh1990
AG, I only based my prediction on hope, as it flies in the face of Arsene's normal behaviour. We didn't say big money, you said "top quality that everyone knows - proven ability, not some nobody from the back of beyond". If you lose, your article will be a real spectacle in the VA chronicles, but let's just leave it there for the moment, and talk again when the dust settles on the transfer window!
Andy-bayor
I think the Zagreb board have plenty of reasons to mislead with the figure. Did you guys see the International football factories programme. The Zagreb fans were mental. If they found out Da Silva went on the cheap, they would go nuts! Wasn't it those guys who burnt the directors box down when he tried to change their name to Croata Zagreb?
flv
A-b, me thinks you're getting a little nervous!!lol, but you are of course right, we have to wait until sept 1st to see.............Zagreb have one reason to mislead on the price, however arsenal have several reasons to mislead on it. Not least because selling one of the best known & most prolific scorers in recent history for 16.1 million & then signing a virtual unknown for more would make the club look silly, especially to the people that have a vested interest in our finances.
Ashburton Gooner
Haha good point FLV ;-)
AFC85Lew
Yeah I saw that FLV, they're like Tottenham on a bad Derby day!
simmy8_2000
erm........... when is'nt it one for 'em Simmy? ;)
nikolaijns
There fans are fair nutters. they used to fight with the Serb and Bosnian teams in the old Yugoslavian leagues and get along fine with the Hadjuk fans. When the country got broken up and they started an only Croatian league Dinamo and Hadjuk started beating the ***** out of eachother just to beat the ***** out of somebody.
Ozi Gooner
I knew Cesc wont leave
afghenry
for some reason i've suddenly become hugely excited about this coming season. i'll be honest, for obvious reasons i've not been too cheerful these last few weeks, but i've suddenyl found a new wave of optimism-we seem to have landed a striker who'll score the goals we struggled to score last season, there seem to be more signings on the way, rvp is back from injury and will be awesome next year, especially as he'll be able to have a pop without incuring the wrath of our former skipper!, the likes of diaby,djourou, eboue, clichy, denilson, theo will be better, plus i haven't even mentioned gallas, cesc, adebayor, hleb or rosicky. bring on the season!!
Labwam
Cesc was in devastating form esp the second half of last season, scoring goals and this term I bet he will be much much better. I salute you for your commitment
Zimbolicious
Wow! Someone actually saying they want to stay at the club!! In a summer of uncertainty and depression, maybe we're going to get a string of good news for once.
adamski243
Andy, I think the odds on you winning the bet went up the day Ribery signed for Bayern :). Its re-assuring to hear Cesc (or his agent) say these words, if only for all the rumours to stop. I was not really worried that Cesc would leave.
prits
prits, I'm cacking myself (tottenham-style) that I'm gonna lose big-time!
Andy-bayor
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