Fabregas will be better off playing for Barca, says Messi

Cesc Fabregas

Barca have tracked the Catalan midfielder for several seasons and had two big-money bids for their former youth team player turned down by the Gunners last summer.

But Messi, who lost out to Fabregas and his Arsenal team-mates in the first leg of the teams' Champions League tie on Wednesday night, believes his friend will soon be a Barca player.

"Let's hope so," he told Sport in an interview. "In the end he will do what he wants and what the people at Barca want. It doesn't depend on us, but I think his inclination is to be at Barcelona because there is nowhere he will be better off than here."

Before the return leg against Arsenal, Barca play four important Primera Division matches, starting at home to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

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