Sport

LONDON (AP):

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is confident that Cesc Fabregas will be the Gunners' captain again this season, despite the continued efforts of Barcelona to sign him.

"Despite all the speculation last season and over the summer, nothing has changed," Wenger said yesterday. "If you look at his contract, he has five or six years remaining.

"When we sign a contract for a long period, it means we are committed to a player."

Arsenal turned down a formal offer from Barcelona for Fabregas last month before the start of the World Cup and has refused to enter into negotiations over the Spain midfielder.

"That's completely ridiculous," Wenger said. "We do not negotiate. If I want to buy your house and you do not want to sell it, you do not negotiate. That is normal."

Wenger said Fabregas, who helped Spain to win the World Cup for the first time, will remain part of what he believes is a squad good enough to win the Premier League title.

Celebrations

Speculation about the transfer increased after Spain's World Cup celebrations in Madrid, when Barcelona players Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique put the Catalan club's jersey on Fabregas.

"It is part of celebration," Wenger said. "You can understand things like that from your friends. Some players make statements and jokes. We have to live with that and not complain too much."

Fabregas left Barcelona as a 16-year-old in 2003 to join Arsenal.

Now 23, Fabregas is the Gunners' key player. He scored 19 goals in 36 appearances last season despite missing several games because of injury.