Cesc Fabregas said goodbye to his Arsenal teammates on Friday ahead of a his long-awaited move to Barcelona.
Reports emerged suggesting that the 24-year-old will fly to Barcelona by the end of the weekend after the clubs hammered out the finer details on an agreement believed to be worth an initial 35 million euros plus a further 5 million euros in potential add-ons.
Barcelona stars Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol pre-empted an official announcement by posting on Twitter to welcome Fabregas back to Camp Nou, where he started his career in the youth team before moving to Arsenal in 2003.
"Welcome home!!! Happy to have you here," said Barca captain Puyol.
Pique added: "He's finally here!!".
Reports in Spain suggest Fabregas has agreed a five-year deal and will join his new teammates after Barcelona plays the first leg of the Supercopa against Real Madrid on Sunday.
The developments come after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made the bizarre claim on Friday morning that Fabregas and Manchester City target Samir Nasri would not be leaving Emirates Stadium this summer.
"I expect nobody to leave the club," Wenger said.
Nevertheless, Wenger confirmed that neither player would feature in Saturday's Premier League opener at Newcastle and spoke of his desire for the saga to be resolved.
Fabregas, the Arsenal club captain, trained with his teammates before saying an emotional goodbye as his dream of a return to Barcelona finally became a reality.
The Catalan giants attempted to re-sign Fabregas last summer but a move did not materialize despite fervent speculation throughout the transfer window.
Wenger is believed to have promised the Spaniard last summer that he would be granted his wish to return to Barcelona if he stayed for one more season. This year, the Gunners have shown a willingness to negotiate with Barcelona officials although the value of the deal falls well short of their 46 million euros valuation.
As Goal.com revealed on Thursday, Fabregas has agreed to forgo €5m - €1m for each of the five years of the contract that he has provisionally agreed with Barcelona - to push through the move back to his boyhood club.
Wenger is expected to be allowed to re-invest all the funds raised from the anticipated sales of Fabregas and Nasri.
Reports emerged suggesting that the 24-year-old will fly to Barcelona by the end of the weekend after the clubs hammered out the finer details on an agreement believed to be worth an initial 35 million euros plus a further 5 million euros in potential add-ons.
Barcelona stars Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol pre-empted an official announcement by posting on Twitter to welcome Fabregas back to Camp Nou, where he started his career in the youth team before moving to Arsenal in 2003.
"Welcome home!!! Happy to have you here," said Barca captain Puyol.
Pique added: "He's finally here!!".
Reports in Spain suggest Fabregas has agreed a five-year deal and will join his new teammates after Barcelona plays the first leg of the Supercopa against Real Madrid on Sunday.
The developments come after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made the bizarre claim on Friday morning that Fabregas and Manchester City target Samir Nasri would not be leaving Emirates Stadium this summer.
"I expect nobody to leave the club," Wenger said.
Nevertheless, Wenger confirmed that neither player would feature in Saturday's Premier League opener at Newcastle and spoke of his desire for the saga to be resolved.
Fabregas, the Arsenal club captain, trained with his teammates before saying an emotional goodbye as his dream of a return to Barcelona finally became a reality.
The Catalan giants attempted to re-sign Fabregas last summer but a move did not materialize despite fervent speculation throughout the transfer window.
Wenger is believed to have promised the Spaniard last summer that he would be granted his wish to return to Barcelona if he stayed for one more season. This year, the Gunners have shown a willingness to negotiate with Barcelona officials although the value of the deal falls well short of their 46 million euros valuation.
As Goal.com revealed on Thursday, Fabregas has agreed to forgo €5m - €1m for each of the five years of the contract that he has provisionally agreed with Barcelona - to push through the move back to his boyhood club.
Wenger is expected to be allowed to re-invest all the funds raised from the anticipated sales of Fabregas and Nasri.
