According to an exclusive in the Evening Standard, Manchester United wish to buy Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona, in order to make a large statement of intent after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. The Spanish midfielder/demigod has endured a tough few months at Barcelona after starting the season brilliantly, and has been linked with a return to Arsenal.

The deal would be a huge surprise, not only to United fans, but to Arsenal fans convinced the former captain would return to the Emirates one day.

Option

As part of the £35m deal for Fabregas (of which Barcelona still owe £5m to Arsenal), a buy-back clause was inserted at the express demand of Arsene Wenger. If Barcelona do choose to sell Fabregas (which is unlikely, in all honesty), Arsenal will have the option to re-purchase him for around £30m, before any other clubs become involved. Of course, if this option is passed up on, he’s free to be sold anywhere.

So, where does this leave Manchester United? Another midfielder is certainly required, but would Fabregas really be a player they’d target. United lack a physical presence in midfield, and Fabregas was the poster boy for all things flaky (at least according to the British press) during his time at Arsenal.

Besides the lack of sense made by the transfer beyond a statement, Fabregas choosing to move to United seems unlikely as well. He still owns a house in London and has expressed a desire to live there again, not to mention the fact that he’s a major part of Tito Vilanova’s plans for the future of Barcelona. If the beleaguered Barca coach gets his way, the next Barcelona side will be built around Fabregas, rather than him being inserted awkwardly into a variety of positions that don’t suit him.

He’s often said he’d only go back to Arsenal if he didn’t retire at Barca, but then again, footballers lie. We’ll have to see, but this looks like an attempt by United to sell season tickets.

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