Santi Cazorla at Arsenal - Fabregas with the trophies?

Santi Cazorla has revealed he consulted former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas and fellow Spaniard before sealing his move to the Emirates.

Naturally the former Gunner was full of good things to say about the club which helped turn him into the star he is.

Fabregas spent eight years at Arsenal, and for all the individual credit he received, silverware was the one thing he was unable to repay them with.

The fee, of around £16 million, is a real steal for a player of his quality. A full Spanish international, he is an diminutive looking player but a real maestro with explosive quality and a fierce shot from long range.

After Fabregas left Arsenal last summer, he was never really replaced. Mikel Arteta was brought into add steel and class to the midfield, but he is a different type of player, equally important but not as creative as the former captain. Cazorla offers exactly what Arsenal are lacking, and his attacking instincts are the perfect foil for the deeper lying Arteta.

He sums up Arsene Wenger's abandonment of his failed 'youth and potential' policy which has failed over the past seven years.

For so long the Arsenal manager sought to buy players young, and hope they would develop into stars, except they were bettered on the pitch in the face of tough Premier League opposition, and when they became stars, they elected to leave - Just look at Fabregas.

Even van Persie, whose future is uncertain, is an illustration of that. Wenger knows his time without a trophy is not sustainable long-term, nor satisfactory, and he is taking the route to success which supporters have been crying out for.

Look at the ages of the players signed this summer; Lukas Podolski - 26, Olivier Giroud - 25, Santi Cazorla - 27. Add in the players he signed on deadline day last year, Andre Santos - 29, Mikel Arteta - 30, and Per Mertesacker - 27.

Half a team of established stars have been bought in the last 12 months, Arsenal are fixing the youthful and brittle core which once saw them rolled over against Manchester United and Chelsea so routinely.

Cazorla is the jewel in the crown, the cherry on the cake of what Wenger will see as his latest masterpiece. With Jack Wilshere bound to eventually return and Thomas Eisfeld showing promise too, Arsenal's future is bright as well as their present.

Looking at their squad, Robin van Persie would be advised to stay, because Arsenal are shaping up for a serious trophy push this season. Santi Cazorla will wow fans with his creativity and eye for goal, and become a hero in the hearts of Gunners fans just like Cesc Fabregas once was.

The difference is, he may just do what the Barcelona player never could at Arsenal, and lift silverware for the team.

Will Cazorla help end Arsenal's trophy drought?

image: © wonker