10:09am Thursday 15th May 2008
ARSENE WENGER has tipped Cesc Fabregas to become the "best midfielder in the world."
The Frenchman, speaking at Nike's Cesc Fabregas Show, insisted the talented Spaniard is already head and shoulders above his peers, and warned that he will only get better.
"I believe a midfielder's best years are usually between 24-years-old and 30," Wenger said at the show, which will be screened on Sky Sports 1 on Monday.
"He is four or five years ahead of a normal player at the moment; that tells you how far he can go.
"So long as he does not suffer any major injuries, he could certainly be the best midfielder in the world."
Fabregas has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks at Arsenal since his arrival from Barcelona as a fresh-faced 16-year-old, and at 21 he is already regarded as one of the best players on the planet.
After impressing his pass-and-move philosophy on the Spaniard at an early age, Wenger has seen his prodigy grow into one of the finest exponents of the beautiful game.
"He gets you in touch with the true beauty of football, and the deep aspects of the game," insisted Wenger.
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