I made everyone at Arsenal know what I thought about Cesc Fabregas before Chelsea move

blocked emotional return to - paving the way for the midfielder to join

Fabregas, who joined the Gunners from Barcelona at 16, flourished into one of the Premier League's top midfielders under Wenger. Despite being loved by fans and fellow players, the temptation of a key role back at Barca was irresistible, leading him to return to Nou Camp in 2011 after a prolonged transfer saga.

However, after three years back in Spain, Fabregas yearned for a return to the Emirates Stadium, only for Wenger to block his path. The Frenchman believed it would establish an undesirable precedent if he was allowed to come back.

Wenger explained his decision not to re-sign Fabregas on in 2020: "It was a general guidance from me to have that, to make the players [realise], 'Look if you go out here, you don't come back'.

"It was a way to retain the players who wanted to sometimes see if the grass was greener somewhere else. I did it for Thierry Henry, Sol Campbell and Jens Lehmann, but that was different. With the young players who left, I didn't like to do it [take them back]."

Fabregas did make a comeback to London, but with Chelsea, where he clinched the Premier League title twice. However, a second stint with the Gunners would have been his preferred move.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

In a 2020 interview on the Arsecast podcast, Fabregas revealed: "My agent Darren [Dein] spoke to Arsene. He didn't give him an answer, to be honest, then we had to wait one full week to see if Arsenal responded.

"Definitely, this was my first option. In my mind I'm telling everyone I'm going to Arsenal, this is what I want. Not Arsene, [Ivan] Gazidis [then Arsenal chief executive] or anyone said anything for a week.

"I didn't want to be a beggar. We told them once, they know the situation if in one week they hadn't said anything… straightaway I knew that probably they didn't want me back.” Now 37, Fabregas is currently head coach of Serie A club Coma having retired from playing in the summer of 2023.