Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas appears to have come to a compromise with manager Arsene Wenger and will play for the club for one more season before exploring a Barcelona move again next summer.

The Spain midfielder turned up for his first pre-season training session with the Gunners yesterday all smiles and appeared to show none of the tension from the past summer saga as he took part in proceedings and a team photo shoot joking and laughing with team mates.

According to the Daily Mail, Wenger managed to persuade his talisman to stay with the club for at least one more season. The Frenchman refused to back off from his stance that Fabregas would not be allowed to leave for the Nou Camp at any price and has consistently pointed out that the midfielder has a lengthy contract with the club.

Barcelona have already had a £29 million bid rejected outright by the Gunners with several sources claiming that Arsenal would not even sell their best player for £50 million. The La Liga champions have also been desperate enough to get their hands on the midfielder that they have arranged for several of their own players to force Arsenal’s hand via the media, as well as reportedly having a secret meeting with Fabregas to instruct him on how to push through a cut price move.

The financial constraints faced by the Catalan club have also meant that president Sandro Rosell has not been able to come up with a sizable bid to tempt the Gunners into letting the Spanish international go.

Fabregas himself has hinted of his desire to leave for his boyhood club and his family has spoken on numerous occasions that the player wants to return to the club where he left as a youth academy player.

For now, the 23-year-old will have to grudgingly accept that his immediate future lies with helping Arsenal to their first major silverware in six seasons, with Wenger fully expecting his captain to be professional and guide the team along.

Despite Fabregas’ obvious inclination to leave, Arsenal fans still turned up in droves for the player’s first training session yesterday, with 10,000 descending on the Emirates to give him a warm welcome back to the club. Banners pleading for him to stay as well as chants of “We Love Cesc Fabregas” were greeted with a smile and warm applause from the captain.

Wenger also told the crowd after the session: “Thank you for the support I am sure you will give us in the coming season. We will give our best and try to finish at the top.”

Tags: Arsenal, Barcelona, Cesc Fabregas, English Premier League, La Liga, transfer news