Fabregas won't rule out Arsenal return

Fabregas said he would be happy to retire as a Barcelona player, but if he were to leave again, he would want it to be for an Arsenal return. (Reuters)

Cesc Fabregas has not ruled out a return to Arsenal later in his career, but said the London club are the only team he would want to leave Barcelona for.

The 24-year-old midfielder returned to his childhood club in the summer after eight years at Arsenal.

Fabregas said he would be happy to retire as a Barcelona player, but if he were to leave again, he would want it to be for an Arsenal return.

"Apart from Arsenal and Barcelona, I don't see myself playing anywhere else," he told Sky Sports News.

"I will definitely be going back (to Arsenal) whenever I have time to watch games and to see the guys, and you never know in the future, why not?

"I hope I will stay here for a very long time, and maybe even retire him, but why not? In life, you can never say never, and if there is one place to go back to, it is Arsenal for sure."

Fabregas admitted he had lost his motivation in the final season at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal struggled and he believed his captaincy was failing to inspire his team-mates.

"It looked like there was no real passion in the team to play," he said. "I've always tried my best to make the team go forward and I could see nothing I was saying was really working.

"I was going into training not feeling the same motivation as when I was 16 years old, and I felt a little bit stuck. I think everyone in life has a time when they need to start again."

But even so, Fabregas admitted it was a huge wrench to leave Arsenal.

"It was very hard, the hardest decision I have ever made, even if it was my dream to play for Barcelona," he said.

"I'm not embarrassed to say the day I left all I could say (to Arsene Wenger) was thank you very much. I couldn't talk more. I'm not embarrassed to say I nearly cried. It was very emotional."

PA