Arsenal Transfer News: Cesc Fabregas Will Return, Says Wenger

By Joseph Dempsey / January 14, 2013

Metro. Fabregas captained the side until he moved to Barcelona in a £30 million deal in 2011, having spent eight years with the Gunners, and Wenger thinks the midfielder still has an affection for the club, and will make a return in four years.

"I€™m not convinced Fabregas won€™t come back here one day. "He€™s an Arsenal man. He loves Arsenal. He watches every Arsenal game. Barcelona was his home town where he grew up and you have to accept this, especially as Barcelona are the best team in the world. "He won€™t return in the next two or three years but, after that, maybe. "It was the tipping point for me. It€™s important that we have some consistency. When you go for a policy like we have with young players, it€™s important you keep them at your club from 23 onwards. If they are ingrained with Arsenal, it is easier to keep them."

Fabregas' departure from Arsenal in 2011 triggered a mass exodus of Gunners' stars, with Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy, Alexander Song and Robin van Persie following him out of the exit door in the years that followed. The Gunners are currently sixth in the Barclay's Premier League, 21 points adrift of leaders Manchester United and six away from London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in fourth, albeit with a game in hand. They were beaten 2-0 at home by Manchester City yesterday, their third defeat at home this season and their fifth overall.