The deal has finally been confirmed, Cesc Fabregas has re-joined his boyhood club in pursuit of the silverware that he failed to find with Arsenal. It is a sad day for Arsenal fans and Fabregas will also never be fully content with his time in North London. He has grown as a player and a person but since he has been a first team regular we have always failed at the final hurdle.

Fabregas is certainly more likely to lift trophies now he is part of the best team in the world but he will never be the star man. Our former captain could have been a true Arsenal legend if he had led this team to honours but now he is just one of a number of great Arsenal players. At Barcelona he will be part of a legendary team but the most memorable contribution he will make to the Barca history books could well be the transfer saga that took him to the club.

Ever since Cesc became a success with Arsenal there have been rumours suggesting he will return to the club that taught him the beautiful game but it was only in the summer of 2010 that Barcelona backed up their talk with a concrete offer. Since then we have been subject to non-stop quotes from Barcelona officials and players stating it is only a matter of time until they complete the signing. Fabregas’ performances appeared to be affected by the speculation last season and he also struggled with hamstring injuries after the world cup in South Africa prevented him from having a full rest at the end of his most prolific season for Arsenal.

The saga continued for the entire pre-season and its conclusion will be met with a sense of relief as well as sadness in north London as the club can finally move on. The Spaniard has a superb ability to pick a pass and make the difference in the final third but as long as Xavi is around, he will be second best at Barcelona. Even when Xavi retires Lionel Messi is the same age as Fabregas and has always been the star in this Barcelona team. Being the main attraction may not be a motivation for Fabregas but with Xavi still at his peak, he risks losing momentum in his development and becoming as familiar with the bench at club level as he is with the national team. This, after all, was the reason that he left Barcelona in the first place.

Cesc will leave us with some great memories, his long range strikes at the San Siro and White Hart Lane spring to mind, as well as his mazy run as he struck a second goal in as many minutes against Tottenham at the Emirates. He also brilliantly nutmegged Robbie Savage at the Grove and forged a great relationship with the Arsenal faithful, something he didn’t damage during his protracted transfer. Fabregas will leave with good wishes but, as with any player that leaves our great club, you can’t help but worry for his future

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