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What is the story?
Former Barcelona superstar, Cesc Fabregas, has revealed that Real Madrid tried to sign him twice when he was at Arsenal, but his commitment to the club saw him snub the deals to stay in London at the start of his illustrious career.
In case you didn't know...
Cesc Fabregas, 32, moved to Arsenal from Barcelona in 2003 at the age of 16. The La Masia graduate went on to make his senior debut for Arsenal on 28 October 2003 against Rotterdam United in a League Cup tie.
His back-to-back impressive performances for The Gunners got the attention of a number of world-class clubs. In 2011, he returned to Barcelona and won a plethora of titles with La Blaugrana.
In 2014 he signed for Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one EFL Cup, and one UEFA Europa League title. He also has a host of individual awards to his name.
Last season, he left the Stamford Bridge outfit, joining Monaco on a contract that will keep him at the principality until 2022. For Spain, Fabregas won the FIFA World Cup once in 2010 and the UEFA Euro titles twice in 2008 and 2012.
The heart of the matter
In an interview with AS, the 32-year-old midfield maestro confessed that Real Madrid tried to lure him to the Spanish capital twice. However, Cesc turned down the offers. He said:
"They called me more than once or twice. The first time I was very young. I was 18 and they offered me a big salary, but I felt like I belonged at Arsenal.
"Wenger had bet the farm on me. I couldn't leave. In any case, I'll always be grateful to Madrid for the way they treated me.
"When I was 23 I had a serious calf injury and they sent me a really nice message.
"I'm grateful for their interest in me but I always dreamed of playing for Barcelona and if I felt that way it was for a reason. It all worked out pretty well for me."
What is next?
This season AS Monaco is yet to win a French league match, and they have only earned two points courtesy of two draws from 4 Ligue 1 matches. Fabregas and his teammates will host Marseille on September 15 in their next league fixture.
