Has the new Cesc Fabregas transfer saga started? It seems like just
yesterday that the former Arsenal man’s move to Barcelona was on again
and off again. A media fueled frenzy that finally ended in the summer of
2011 with the midfielder signing official terms with the Catalan
giants. Now, nearly two years later, the media is at it again – this time linking Cesc witha move away from Barcelona and possibly back to England.
But why? It’s rumored that Barcelona are looking to stage a massive clear out to free some funds to rebuild their team. Amongst those same rumors is where Cesc’s future away from the Nou Camp lies. But is the possibility of a Fabregas move even in the realm of reasonable? One thing is for certain – the competition for places in Barcelona’s midfield is fantastic. With the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Fabregas, all at his disposal, Tito Vilanova has a fantastic arsenal of weapons to select from. Xavi, 33, has missed several matches due to injury this season, while Iniesta, 28, continues to impress on a regular basis. When all of Barcelona’s players are indeed fit, Fabregas often times finds himself on the bench. When he finds himself on the pitch, however, he’s been efficient and even effective in front of goal. Lionel Messi’s injury worried many Barcelona fans, but Fabregas filled in without hiccup and even scored his first professional hat-trick against Mallorca several weeks back.
So just how good has Fabregas been this year? A quick look at his statistics in La Liga show that he has been very good. Having made a total of 28 appearances in the league this season, Fabregas has missed out on the action in a total of five of Barcelona’s La Liga matches. He boasts an 88% average pass accuracy with an average pass length of 15 meters. Throughout the season, he has created 44 chances and converted 10 of those into assists. In front of goal, he’s taken a total of 33 shots this season and scored a total of 10 goals.
So ten goals, ten assists, with an 88% pass completion average? Not too bad. If you take a look at one the guys in Barcelona’s team that he competes with for playing time, Andres Iniesta, you’ll see that Cesc really isn’t too far off the mark. Iniesta has featured in 26 La Liga matches this season and has a 91% average pass accuracy with an average pass length of 14 meters (Xavi leads the team with a whopping 95% average passing accuracy). Iniesta has scored twice but assisted 14 goals this season with a total of 38 chances created. All things considered, the two players have been very effective for their side.
Lets take a look at the team he left behind now and the man he left behind to fill his boots: Aaron Ramsey. Just as Arsenal fans were confident that Cesc could fill in for Patrick Vieira once the Frenchman left for Juventus, the idea that Aaron Ramsey was maturing into a player that could eventually replace Cesc was on the mind of many around the world when Cesc finally did leave for Barcelona. An awful broken leg at the hands of Stoke City put a massive speed-bump in Ramsey’s growth as a player, but he’s back playing now and competing regularly for Arsenal. Ramsey has played in 33 of Arsenal’s 35 League matches. He hasn’t scored in the League yet this year, but he has created 38 chances, converting two of those into assists. He also has an 88% average pass accuracy. Ramsey hasn’t been able to find his goal-scoring boots this season, but his passing has been good and he will continue to improve at just 22 years of age.
So what if Cesc did come back to Arsenal and found himself playing alongside fellow Spaniard Santi Cazorla? Cazorla has been impressive in his first season averaging an 87% pass accuracy throughout this year’s league campaign. He’s featured in all 35 of Arsenal’s Premier League matches, scoring 12 goals and assisting 7 others in the process. What is most interesting is the fact that he has created 87 chances, a substantial number. A combination of both Cesc Fabregas and Santi Cazorla could make for a very competitive Arsenal midfield. Throw in the likes of Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta, and suddenly Arsenal once again have the competition for places they need to compete for the Premier League. Whether or not they bring in some new attacking options is still left to be determined.
Fabregas does indeed find himself in a tricky situation now. The two-time European Champion and one time World Cup Champion is at the point of his career now where he should be playing regularly. He was doing so at Arsenal during his time in London, but has found his opportunities at Barcelona slightly inconsistent. With Xavi and Iniesta both Barcelona’s first choice midfielders, Fabregas has to decide whether or not he is happy being a third option or if he needs to seek out his football elsewhere. Arsenal fans would surely welcome back the Spanish Ace, but whether or not he actually does leave Barcelona is yet to be determined.
But why? It’s rumored that Barcelona are looking to stage a massive clear out to free some funds to rebuild their team. Amongst those same rumors is where Cesc’s future away from the Nou Camp lies. But is the possibility of a Fabregas move even in the realm of reasonable? One thing is for certain – the competition for places in Barcelona’s midfield is fantastic. With the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Fabregas, all at his disposal, Tito Vilanova has a fantastic arsenal of weapons to select from. Xavi, 33, has missed several matches due to injury this season, while Iniesta, 28, continues to impress on a regular basis. When all of Barcelona’s players are indeed fit, Fabregas often times finds himself on the bench. When he finds himself on the pitch, however, he’s been efficient and even effective in front of goal. Lionel Messi’s injury worried many Barcelona fans, but Fabregas filled in without hiccup and even scored his first professional hat-trick against Mallorca several weeks back.
So just how good has Fabregas been this year? A quick look at his statistics in La Liga show that he has been very good. Having made a total of 28 appearances in the league this season, Fabregas has missed out on the action in a total of five of Barcelona’s La Liga matches. He boasts an 88% average pass accuracy with an average pass length of 15 meters. Throughout the season, he has created 44 chances and converted 10 of those into assists. In front of goal, he’s taken a total of 33 shots this season and scored a total of 10 goals.
So ten goals, ten assists, with an 88% pass completion average? Not too bad. If you take a look at one the guys in Barcelona’s team that he competes with for playing time, Andres Iniesta, you’ll see that Cesc really isn’t too far off the mark. Iniesta has featured in 26 La Liga matches this season and has a 91% average pass accuracy with an average pass length of 14 meters (Xavi leads the team with a whopping 95% average passing accuracy). Iniesta has scored twice but assisted 14 goals this season with a total of 38 chances created. All things considered, the two players have been very effective for their side.
Lets take a look at the team he left behind now and the man he left behind to fill his boots: Aaron Ramsey. Just as Arsenal fans were confident that Cesc could fill in for Patrick Vieira once the Frenchman left for Juventus, the idea that Aaron Ramsey was maturing into a player that could eventually replace Cesc was on the mind of many around the world when Cesc finally did leave for Barcelona. An awful broken leg at the hands of Stoke City put a massive speed-bump in Ramsey’s growth as a player, but he’s back playing now and competing regularly for Arsenal. Ramsey has played in 33 of Arsenal’s 35 League matches. He hasn’t scored in the League yet this year, but he has created 38 chances, converting two of those into assists. He also has an 88% average pass accuracy. Ramsey hasn’t been able to find his goal-scoring boots this season, but his passing has been good and he will continue to improve at just 22 years of age.
So what if Cesc did come back to Arsenal and found himself playing alongside fellow Spaniard Santi Cazorla? Cazorla has been impressive in his first season averaging an 87% pass accuracy throughout this year’s league campaign. He’s featured in all 35 of Arsenal’s Premier League matches, scoring 12 goals and assisting 7 others in the process. What is most interesting is the fact that he has created 87 chances, a substantial number. A combination of both Cesc Fabregas and Santi Cazorla could make for a very competitive Arsenal midfield. Throw in the likes of Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta, and suddenly Arsenal once again have the competition for places they need to compete for the Premier League. Whether or not they bring in some new attacking options is still left to be determined.
Fabregas does indeed find himself in a tricky situation now. The two-time European Champion and one time World Cup Champion is at the point of his career now where he should be playing regularly. He was doing so at Arsenal during his time in London, but has found his opportunities at Barcelona slightly inconsistent. With Xavi and Iniesta both Barcelona’s first choice midfielders, Fabregas has to decide whether or not he is happy being a third option or if he needs to seek out his football elsewhere. Arsenal fans would surely welcome back the Spanish Ace, but whether or not he actually does leave Barcelona is yet to be determined.
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