Wenger Believes Fabregas Will Stay Beyond 2011

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that he is confident midfielder Cesc Fabregas will stay at the club beyond this season.

The World Cup winner has been linked with his hometown club for the last two seasons and the Catalan giants had two bids rejected for him in the summer.

Fabregas let it be known he wanted to join his former side, but was denied the move by Arsenal, where he has four years left on his contract.

Many insiders believe Fabregas is going to give Arsenal one more season before joining Barcelona next summer.

But Wenger has told shareholders at the club’s AGM today that he expects the 23-year-old to stay in north London.

Wenger told shareholders: “He is from Barcelona and has an attraction to where he grew up.

“At the end of the day, I believe he wants to win with this club.

“For how long I don’t know but hopefully for many, many years. I’m not pessimistic.

“I’m confident we will keep him for a few more years.

“He deeply loves this club, believe me…if he did not love the club, he would have gone.”

Fabregas admitted after an end to the transfer speculation that joining Barcelona was an “attractive” option for him, and that there are not many players who would not like to play for Pep Guardiola’s men.

He said in August: “I cannot deny that joining a club like Barcelona was not an attractive move for me.

“This was the club where I learnt my football, it is my home town where my friends and family are and a club where I have always dreamed of playing.

“There are not many players in the world who would not want to play for Barcelona.”

Wenger also revealed to shareholders that the club has money to make one or two more signings in January.