I'm not sure how to feel about this but it is finally over. Cesc Fabregas is now officially a Barca player with a bunch of money going the other way. Here are my thoughts:
It had to end this way - the negative press and momentum were like a cancer eating away at the club. His heart wasn't in being the focal point of the team and you just can't have your best player not into it.
Did they wait too long? My sense is that they waited one season too long. I don't know if they would have gotten any more money if they'd sold him last summer but I'm pretty sure that the club would be in a better place now if he'd been gone for the last year.
What do they know? Is his hammy a chronic thing? There's one thing you can say about Wenger during his Arsenal years, there aren't many players who have left and played better after they left. TH14 had some OK seasons at Barca but he wasn't his best. Vieira won trophies at Inter but wasn't an integral cog in the machine. K2...Toure...Flamini... you get the idea. Just something to keep in mind as you rush to crush Wenger for losing it.
Ready replacement? It certainly isn't Rosicky. I can see Wilshere and Ramsey being a solid pairing in front of Song. It is certainly a step back from Cesc/Nasri at their best. Is it a step back from the end of last season? No, not really. That said, the end of last season wasn't very good was it?
What's next? I can't claim to know about every high potential attacking midfielder out there but you have to think Arsenal need to buy someone at the Hazard/Mata level to keep themselves in the conversation with the big boys of the league.
Whether it is fair or not, I'd imagine Arsenal's next steps will be something of a referendum on Wenger and his ability to keep the club moving forward. If the club end up with the money in the bank, then the supporters aren't going to give him/them much of a leash for additional ugly 0-0 road matches with mid-table opponents. I'd imagine the supporters won't be satisfied unless there is both a center back and a replacement attacking midfielder regardless of what happens next with Nasri.
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