Emotion drives Barçelona’s pursuit of Fàbregas

FC Barçelona made itself stronger with the acquisition of the consistently great David Villa. Villa is the perfect Barçelona man, skilled and focused on the pitch but humble off it. So why is FC Barçelona, almost universally regarded as the world’s strongest club, pursuing Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas with such fervor? Emotion. The desire to repatriate the boy from La Masia is overriding any reasoned discussion surrounding the move. It is unclear where Cesc would fit into the starting lineup for Barçelona, but at a price likely to eclipse 40 million Euros, anything short of a starting position would have onlookers blasting Barça as spendthrifts not seen since Florentino Pérez. With Xavi on the right and Iniesta on the left, Barça have a superior product. I read one article that suggested Cesc could fill Iniesta’s spot wihile Andrés would slide forward to the left wing. This diminishes Iniesta’s creative abilities, and while Cesc would naturally do considerably more ball recovery in the midfield, Iniesta’s natural rhythms would have to be adjusted with less space to roam. Xavi is 30 years old and will not forever be a maestro. But right now, he is irreplaceable as the world’s best passer. He should be a visionary for at least the next two years, after which diminishing speed may catch up to him. However, his guile and intelligence may keep him among the world’s elite for many years to come. Zidane was still regarded as superhuman after the age of 32. Football is a young man’s game, but it is hard to see Xavi falling completely into disrepair. Iniesta is 26 and was injured last year. One could argue that the acquisition of Cesc could take some pressure off of Iniesta, reducing his in-game responsibilities or even allowing him to exit the pitch for some rest. This, they say, would prolong his career and effectiveness. This argument is poor. So long as Iniesta is healthy, what coach in his right mind would bench him? I know that Guardiola continues to mindlessly allow the inadequate Sergio Busquets playing time, but the head man remains a genius and will not remove a healthy Iniesta from the lineup.
Cesc is a wonderful choice as the heir apparent of Xavi or Iniesta, but the time is not now. Barçelona needs reinforcements, particularly if Yaya Touré departs the defensive midfield. Javier Mascherano would be an excellent replacement, but even if Touré is sold, Mascherano would come at a significant monetary loss to Barçelona. The best move is to re-sign Touré and forget about Cesc until at least another year down the line. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”