Puyol - Cesc is coming

Puyol & Fabregas: International colleagues

He is the future of Barcelona and Arsenal can't do anything to stop that. I have just spent six weeks with him and there is only one club he wants to be at.

Carles Puyol.
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News

• Wenger admits 'reduced' Fab fee
• Cesc says sorry to Gunners fans
• Cesc completes Barca return
• Wenger in 'No Man's Land'
• Pep waits on Cesc arrival
• Fabregas delays Spain trip
• Barca set to announce Fab deal
• Gunners duo won't face Magpies
• Wenger - Cesc decision due
• Barca step up Fab chase
• Chamakh - Duo will leave
• Gunners name Cesc and Nasri
• Cesc misses Portugal trip
• Gunners shun latest Cesc bid
• Barca - No Cesc comment
• Unsettled Fabregas left out
• Barca told to hurry on Cesc
• Barca patient in Cesc chase
• Wenger hopes to end Fab rumours
• Barca given no Cesc guarantees
• Guardiola dodges Fabregas talk

Teams

• Arsenal
• Barcelona

Players

• Carles Puyol
• Cesc Fabregas

Also see

• Primera Liga fixtures
• Primera Liga table
• Primera Liga stats
• Revista de la Liga
• Guillem Balague's column

Carles Puyol believes there is little Arsenal can do to prevent Cesc Fabregas from returning to Barcelona.

The Gunners skipper continues to find himself at the centre of long-running transfer saga, with his future at Emirates Stadium far from certain.

Fabregas has openly expressed his desire to head back to his Catalan roots, and Barca have made it clear that they are keen to have him back.

However, Arsenal are reluctant to let their talismanic leader leave and have already spurned one sizeable approach for their captain.

It appears as though they may have been able to hold off Barca's advances for at least another 12 months, but Puyol, skipper at Camp Nou, is adamant that Fabregas will soon be back where he belongs.

"Cesc is a really nice guy and desperate to become a Barcelona player," Puyol said in the Daily Star Sunday.

"But he is not the sort of player to be ruthless and start using the media to get him the move that he wants.

Class

"There are many players who would try all sorts of tricks to make it impossible to ever play for Arsenal again but that is not his style.

"I think Arsenal need to respect his class and show the same class by giving the guy who has given so much to them the move that he and his family want.

"He isn't just being deprived of moving to the best club in the world. More importantly, he is being deprived of coming home.

"He has tried everything to win trophies at Arsenal and when he sees the success so many of his Spanish team-mates are having at Barcelona, it's only natural that he should want to be a part of that."

Puyol played alongside Fabregas at this summer's World Cup, as Spain tasted global glory, and he is confident he will soon be lining up with the 23-year-old at club level as well.

He added: "He is the future of Barcelona and Arsenal can't do anything to stop that. I have just spent six weeks with him and there is only one club he wants to be at.

"The worst-case scenario is that we have to wait another 12 months for him to join us - but Arsenal, Barcelona and Cesc know that is the very worst-case scenario."