Summers rarely show footballers in their best light. With too much money and too much free time they start giving their ‘opinions’ to any desperate hack looking for a cheap headline.

The likes of Drogba, Adebayor and Ronaldo have shown their collective willingness to drop their proverbial knickers quicker than a short time Patpong whore if the price is right. And for Alex Hleb and Mathieu Flamini the price most definitely went higher Bruce and became right.

Cesc Fabregas shines out like a beacon. Everyone knows he’s a Barcelona fan. His youthful honesty said as much when he first arrived at Arsenal and shared lodgings with Philippe Senderos. But he also says, repeatedly, he is happy at the Arsenal and is keen to stay for years to come.

But every week some tired old journo, probably owing a few bob down the track, repeats the same old dross ad infinitum. Cesc is on his way to Spain, be it Barca or Real.

Fair play to Cesc. He always comes out with denials but he’s wasting his breath. Wait till just before the January transfer window and the whole sorry charade will be played out again.

Unlike that serial footstepper up at Old Trafford. Is he staying or going? I don’t care like, no skin off my nose what he wants to do with his career; he can work at the Blue Peter garden for all I care, and Dennis Wise’s nephews can trash the joint, but there is a serious point in all this.

All these footballers. Too much free time, too much agent influence and no reality check from their employer. A professional coach the other day described football as misery and it’s getting worse.

This contract and contract release stuff is bull. It’s time players were reined in and agents told to take a swim in those nice new concrete boots over in the corner.

Till that happens, and it’s unlikely isn’t it, God Bless Cesc Fabregas.

To read more of Jakarta Casual’s writing, his blog can be found here