Cesc was tapped up

"It's true that the president of Real Madrid called me personally, we spoke on the phone, but I never gave him my word, I never said to him that I was going to sign for Real Madrid."

- Cesc Fabregas, in the summer of '07

I don't understand what Arsenal are about, sometimes.

Real Madrid contacted Fabregas about a potential transfer without negotiating with Arsenal. Real Madrid approached a contracted player. It's illegal. It's tapping up. Arsenal should lodge an official protest to UEFA. We should throw the book at them, get a transfer embargo placed on them, or fine them heavily. We should do something about it, because if we keep quiet and take it, it's going to happen again and again.

If we sue them, as Wenger suggests, and we win, it sends a clear message to Real Madrid, Barca, Milan and everyone else that the Arsenal are not a selling club. If we sue them, these yearly flirtations with our big players will stop. If we sue them, we might even get enough money to mount a raid of our own. We might get enough money to get a David Silva or a David Villa in the side.

I'm pretty sick of it. First Anelka, then Overmars, then Vieira, then Henry. And now Cesc. Arsenal play it by the book, and we really should start pummelling other clubs with it. Pelt them with the letter of the law. Harass them until they crawl over on their hands and knees and swear that they'll stop tapping up our players.

It's a world of sharks out there, and unless you're prepared to fight back, you're just a baby seal waiting to be devoured. The only thing these animals understand is dreadful, painful violence - of a legal nature. And unless we're prepared to unleash that violence, it's going to be taken as an empty threat. You know the old saying - you can talk the talk, but you need to walk the walk.

Well, in August 2007, Wenger said:

"I did not allow Fabregas to talk to anybody. He denies he did. If you can get the statement he has done that and that Real Madrid, more than ever, has done that, then we will sue Real Madrid."

Time to walk the walk, Arsene.