It's time to cash in on Cesc

It's not Cesc Fabregas's fault that Arsenal haven't won a pottie, let alone a pot, in six years. Far from it: he's been the team's best player throughout their extended nappy-wearing phase. But if the Spanish playmaker leaves the Gunners this off-season, as seems likely, he could push Arsenal forward.

For Fabregas it would be a giant leap to rejoin Barcelona, who first moulded his creativity, and whose dizzying excellence would surely increase with his arrival. Pep Guardiola doesn't strictly need another purveyor of freakish space-time intuition in his work force, but we can count on him to find something useful for Cesc to do.

Fabregas can also leave the Emirates stadium without angst: his behaviour towards the club has been impeccable. He genuinely respects Arsene Wenger and the fans, and the feeling is mutual.

But what's in it for the Gunners? If Wenger doesn't get robbed in a deal, and he rarely does, Arsenal would bank a chubby cheque for somewhere between £35-million and £50-million. So what? many will counter. A ready-made replacement for the skipper can't be found for any price, and even if there is someone vaguely similar out there (Luka Modric, who is now set to join Chelsea, or Wesley Sneijder, or Kaka) he wouldn't be tempted by the pay or the prospects at Arsenal.

Instead of the money, the real benefit for Wenger and Arsenal would be a creative shock. If Fabregas exits, so will the battered fantasy that Arsenal are edging ever closer to their bigger-spending rivals. Fabregas has been such a force of excellence that he has become a crutch for Wenger - a one-man disguise of Arsenal's creeping fragility.

Without him, the manager will no longer be able to pretend his side is just a few shades of his beloved "mental strength" and one obscure fullback short of conquering England or Europe. New owner Stan Kroenke (and the fans) would have no choice but to give Wenger another season's grace in which to comprehensively renovate the team, spending lavishly in the process.

Some depreciating assets will likely be shed in any event - Denilson, Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Eboue, if buyers can be found - and a couple of proven English Premier League campaigners introduced. Ivorian forward Gervinho is set to arrive from Lille; a nifty talent, no doubt, but not the blockbuster signing that Gunners fans want as proof of their club's ambition.

Even if Wenger does make big signings, the entire renewal project will surely hinge on Jack Wilshere, more so if Samir Nasri also leaves this off-season. The England teenager would be shoved like a human sacrifice into the Cesc-shaped chasm in midfield. He has the necessary qualities - vision, technique, charisma - but like the Spaniard, he may only mature into a commanding force during his third season.

Fabregas may stay at the Emirates, of course, and his continued presence would make Arsenal more likely to win a trophy next season. But it may also delay the necessary renewal - and could actually hasten the departure of Wenger, in the event of yet another barren season.

Seven years of failure, with the brilliance of Fabregas at his disposal throughout, would be a difficult record for Wenger to defend.