FABREGAS KEEPS FOCUS ON ARSENAL
Cesc Fabregas insists he is "100 per cent focused" on playing for Arsenal after the London club rejected two offers from Barcelona this summer.The Gunners captain's future has been the subject of speculation all summer, with Barca making clear in public terms their desire to bring him back to the Nou Camp after coming through the Catalan club's academy.
However, his immediate future now appears to be at the Emirates Stadium and he said on Friday: "I am a professional and I fully understand that it is Arsenal's prerogative not to sell me.
"I owe a lot to the club, manager and the fans and I will respect their decision and will now concentrate on the new season ahead with Arsenal.
" I can assure all the fans that now the negotiations have ended I will be 100 per cent focused on playing for Arsenal."
Fabregas admitted a move to Barcelona had been an appealing prospect, but that he respected the club's decision to hold on to a player who is under contract until 2014.
He added: "Firstly I would like to apologise to all the Arsenal fans for not speaking sooner about my future but I have not known what I was going to do until this moment."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.
I have had many conversations with Arsene Wenger both in person and over the phone over the last few months and although the content of those conversations will remain private, the conclusion is that Barcelona have had two formal offers rejected by Arsenal.
"I am an Arsenal player and as soon as I step out on to the pitch, that is the only club I will be thinking about.
I am looking forward to the start of the season and putting this speculation behind me."Arsenal announced on June 2 that they had rejected an offer from Barcelona for their midfield star, insisting they had "no intention of selling him".
Barcelona president Sandro Rosell then warned on July 6 that his club would not be held to ransom for Fabregas, saying a fee of 50 or 60million euros was far more than they were prepared to pay.
Rosell told radio station RAC1 at the time: "The whole world knows he wants to come and that we want to sign him.
"It is a topic that has become so public and that is the worst thing you can do with a transfer, because it makes the selling club raise their expectations and you end up paying over the odds."
Fabregas came through Barcelona's youth ranks before joining Arsenal at the age of 16.
He returned to Arsenal on Thursday after an extended break following his part in Spain's World Cup success, featuring in the official team photograph and participating in an open training session at the Emirates.
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