Gunners convinced that Cesc will stay
ARSENAL goalkeeping legend Bob Wilson has labelled Barcelona’s offer for Cesc Fabregas as a “joke” and remains convinced the Gunners skipper will stay in north London.
World Cup winner Fabregas joined up with his Arsenal team-mates yesterday for the first time this summer and took his place in the line up for the official team photograph.
The Gunners rejected a £30m bid from Barca for the midfield maestro earlier in the summer and Wilson, 68, believes the La Liga champions have hugely undervalued their No1 target.
“Barcelona’s offer for Cesc so far is a joke,” Wilson told City.A.M. “Today is the clearest indication you can get that he will stay. If you look at the team photo for the 2010-2011 season, he is at the front of the picture.”
He added: “There will be an announcement soon that tells everyone that Cesc Fabregas is going to stay at the Emirates Stadium for this season, and maybe for longer.”
Indeed, another Gunners legend, Kenny Sansom, went a step further by insisting he knows for a fact that Fabregas will stay at the Emirates for another year.
“I’ve had a chat with [manager] Arsene Wenger and he told me he’s going to stay, which is great news,” the former England left back revealed. “It’s a good day for the club, with all the fans being here to see Cesc back here, they all look up to him and it’s great news that he’s stopping.”
Fabregas, who joined Arsenal as a 16-year-old in 2003, has long been linked with a move back to his boyhood club, but Gunners boss Arsene Wenger remains adamant that the midfielder is not for sale at any price.
Meanwhile, striker Nicklas Bendtner is targeting a haul of 20 Premier League goals this season.
The Denmark forward managed 12 strikes in 31 games for Arsenal last season, but the 22-year-old was forced to miss over two months of the last campaign with a groin injury.
“Last season I had set myself a target of 20 Premier League goals, but unfortunately I got my groin injury,” Bendtner also told City.A.M. “When I returned, in the last 12 games I got 10 goals which I was very pleased with. If I had not been injured [my target] would have been achievable.
He added: “Now I’m just thinking about getting back from injury and I’ve set myself the same target as last season.”