I, like many Arsenal fans accept that Cesc Fabregas will one day leave us, with the destination near certain to be Barcelona. Whether it be this summer or the next, or even a few years from now, we all know that one day the time will come to say farewell to our magnificent number 4.

However, the one thing we should not have to accept (either as a football club or as fans) is the total lack of respect shown towards us by Barcelona. Is it really too much to ask that they conduct themselves in a professional manner? Is it too much to ask that they hold private scheduled meetings with Arsene and the board? Is it for that matter too much to ask that they listen to our statement advising Cesc is not for sale at any price and that we won’t enter into negotiations? Barcelona simply don’t care.

With Cesc spending the summer with his Spanish team mates, and Barcelona going through a presidential election, I (like many Gooners I’m sure) always knew this was going to be a trying and testing summer with regards to keeping hold of our captain. We’ve had Laporta shouting his mouth off about Cesc being his “goodbye present” before handing over the reigns to Rosell. We’ve had numerous Barcelona players from Xavi, to Pique, to Iniesta shouting their mouths off about Cesc having “Barca DNA” and “Cesc already feeling like a Barca player”. Between these antics and their use of the Spanish press it is fair to say that Barcelona Football Club (nor FIFA / UEFA for that matter) give two s**** about tapping up players and how to behave when wanting to complete a transfer.

Last night however was the final straw, to say I was seething is an understatement. Don’t ask me why but I found myself on Sky Sports News as it started its hourly repetitiveness at 11pm and what followed was disgraceful. Whilst on stage in Madrid, supposedly there to enjoy their World Cup success with the adoring public, Puyol and Pique (along with the help of Pepe Reina) decided to turn the Spanish celebrations into a new level of tapping up a player. Between the three of them they managed to get Cesc wearing a Barcelona shirt, fair to say with Cesc having little say in the matter. Reina then announced to the crowd “The future of Spain… the future of Barcelona… it’s Cesc…” with the crowd shouting back “Fabregas”. Quite what Arsene and the board will make of this I can only begin to imagine. Yet another bit of evidence that Barcelona only think of themselves and to hell with the rest of us, in fact to hell with even Cesc in this instance as his moment to receive deserved cheers was embarrassingly taken from him by the idiots that are Puyol and Pique. And like I say why should they worry? FIFA / UEFA will quite obviously do sweet F.A. about it. Also, I wonder if Reina would have been so willing to help if they tried to pull the same stunt with a certain Mr. Torres?

I can only hope that Barcelona’s behaviour this summer has got Arsene so worked up he simply won’t budge and will refuse to sell regardless of the offer made by the debt stricken Catalans. I can only hope that Arsenal are true to their word regarding not selling and not negotiating or there will be some serious egg on face not to mention serious repercussions for the future… because if Barcelona get their way this summer, with this player, they will believe they can get their way whenever and with whomever they like for the rest of time. Overmars, Petit, Henry and Hleb (although we clearly got the better of that one)… it’s time to make a stand and simply say no. If Fabregas goes this summer he will just be another in the line of Arsenal to Barcelona players. Please Arsenal don’t let the bullies win!