Senior Barcelona figure sends Fabregas message over future return amid Arteta competition

By Alexis Pereira | 15 Sep 2026 17:55, Last updated: 15 Sep 2026 17:59

A senior figure at Barcelona has sent a clear message to Cesc Fabregas regarding his future, with the Como manager increasingly regarded as a leading candidate for the Nou Camp job when Hansi Flick's tenure eventually comes to an end, according to Sport.

Fabregas has managed Como since the summer of 2024, overseeing a period of significant progress for the ambitious Italian club that recently included a first-ever victory in a Champions League fixture. His work in north Italy has not gone unnoticed in his home city, and contacts between Fabregas and Barcelona were reported as far back as June of this year.

Barcelona are not in the market for a new manager. Hansi Flick has recently extended his contract at the club until June 2028, with an option for a further year, and the German boss has described the Catalans as the final club of his managerial career. Any succession planning is a medium-to-long-term exercise.

Within that context, Sport reports that a prominent member of the Barcelona hierarchy has passed a message directly to Fabregas: when the time comes to leave Como, he should make Barcelona his first call before considering any other option. The implication is that the door to a return to the club where he came through the academy — Fabregas made 151 appearances for the Blaugranas — remains open.

Fabregas is not the only candidate on Barcelona's long-term shortlist. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta — another La Masia product — is also regarded as a future option for the Nou Camp job, should he ever choose to leave the north London club. Arteta's record at Arsenal, which includes a Premier League title and a Champions League final, gives him a significant advantage in terms of experience at the elite level.

However, reports suggest Arteta is moving towards a long-term contract renewal with Arsenal, which may effectively close that particular door for the foreseeable future.

That situation could work in Fabregas's favour. The Como boss would be unlikely to face significant obstacles in leaving the Italian club should the Barcelona opportunity materialise, and his growing reputation as one of the more inventive young managers in Europe suggests the job, whenever it becomes available, would represent a serious proposition for both parties.

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