Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Pique has criticised the club for not being appreciative enough of his team-mate Cesc Fabregas.
The 27-year-old midfielder has won the La Liga and the Copa del Rey titles at Barca, but he has “failed” in that he is not Xavi, the player he was expected to replace. As a result, Barca are looking to sell Fabregas in order to fund their own summer spending spree.
Pique however has defended his teammates record at the Nou Camp and has claimed that he is not appreciated enough in Barcelona.
“I really like Cesc and I know he is going through a tough time because the club don’t appreciate him as much as they should,” the 27-year-old told reporters.
“He is one of those players who would be first-choice at any other club in the world, the star of the team.
“Despite that, he is finding it harder at Barca. I don’t know what he is going to do; we haven’t spoken about that.
“I hope he stays because if you look at his stats this season, he is our highest-scoring midfielder and the one with the most assists. Of course I want him to stay with us.”
Fabregas’s biggest failing is that he cannot replace one of the greatest footballers that Spain has ever replaced. He is just entering his prime, and I think he will be a star in the Premier League next season regardless of whether he ends up at Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester City.
