Wenger loses patience over Fabregas fuss

With the Gunners expected to finish a fifth straight season empty-handed, the 22-year old Spaniard is once again being linked with a move to the Catalan club.

But in a press conference on Friday Wenger made his views on such a switch clear.

"I can't see anybody with a competitive edge wanting to go to Spain," he said. "They have two good teams and the number three is 27 points behind.”

The Frenchman went on to criticise the financial stability of Spanish football.

"Next weekend the players threatened to strike because they are not paid. It is a league in complete disarray."

The comments come in the wake of Barcelona refuting claims by Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood last that the two clubs had reached an agreement whereby the Catalans would not try and sign Fabregas this summer.

In an interview with Spanish daily AS however, Barca technical secretary Txiki Begiristain retorted: "If Barcelona think that he is necessary for the team, they will go for him, always respecting negotiations.

"We have never said that we will not try to sign Cesc Fabregas. We will see what happens."

Fabregas has been continually linked with a move back to the club he joined as 10 year-old, before heading to London in 2003.

The recurrence of such speculation has clearly riled Wenger, who expressed his frustration with the media ahead of his side's trip to Wigan at the weekend.

"In every press conference I get asked from you, 'Will Fabregas stay or not?' Frankly, I believe it's not serious. The players are under contract.

"If the players are free, I'll tell you, but when the players are under contract why should we always answer the same questions. Every week it's exactly the same with Fabregas. Every year, every week. Why? I don't know why."

Fabregas has not played for the Gunners, who effectively bowed out of the title race after losing to Tottenham on Wednesday, since breaking a bone in his leg during Arsenal's Champions League quarter-final first leg draw with Barcelona last month.

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Gregg Davies

Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.