CHL: Fabregas won’t join United, Suarez SHOULDN’T join Arsenal, Rooney must force a move and Cisse has some explaining to do

After a bit of a hiatus, The Controversial High Line (a.k.a CHL) is back, and has no plans of going anywhere. Silly Season is upon us, and while most football fans are used to seeing wacky transfer rumours, certain rumours seem to drag on for a long time. Upon it’s (much-anticipated?) return, CHL takes a look at three transfer rumours that have set tongues wagging for a while now. Also, the hard-hitting column analyzes the antics of a certain religious footballer whose double standards were eventually exposed. 
What’s with Moyes’ relentless pursuit of Fabregas?

Ever since Manchester United missed out on Thiago Alcantara, David Moyes has been pursuing another one of Barcelona’s talented midfielders: Cesc Fabregas. On the face of it, he’d be a decent signing; he’s proven in the Premier League and will add a lot of creativity to United. So why am I scoffing at what would appear to be a good signing for the defending Premier League champions? The answer is simple: Moyes’ chances of securing Fabregas’ signature range from slim to none.
Barcelona aren’t exactly renowned for having a big squad. They prefer to work with a core set of players while keeping utility players and youngsters on the bench. These bench players don’t generally get a lot of game time, and this can be frustrating. That’s the reason Thiago, someone who was considered a natural heir to Xavi, left Barcelona. Having lost one of their most talented youth academy graduates, Barcelona would be extremely reluctant to sell Fabregas, the only other player who could fill Xavi’s massive boots. Throw in the fact that Fabregas had to almost fight to secure himself a transfer back to his boyhood club and it seems extremely unlikely that Cesc would want to leave Barcelona.
And for those who think that Fabregas might just leave due to the fact that he doesn’t get many games at Barcelona, here’s a stat for you: he made 48 appearances for the club last season, same as Xavi and Iniesta. I think it’s safe to say he gets enough game time.
Arsenal aren’t the answer to Suarez’s problems 

Luis Suarez has made his desire to leave Liverpool pretty clear over the summer. He’s blamed every man and his dog for the fact that he and his family are now unhappy – because apparently it’s the fault of the British media that he racially abused Patrice Evra and bit Branislav Ivanovic. However, the only club who seem to be interested in the mercurial striker is Arsenal. And even though he has made it obvious that his future lies away from Anfield, it’d be a foolish move on his behalf if he decides to join Arsenal.
Suarez said very clearly that he would like to move out of England because he feels the media have been unfair to him. Fair enough. Now why the sudden U-turn? It’d be understandable if he moved to an English club like City, United or Chelsea because these clubs always compete for trophies. However, Arsenal haven’t been competing for trophies in the past 8 years, and if Arsenal’s current activity in the transfer market is anything to go by, their trophy-less run might go on for at least another year. Come to think of it, Liverpool have won more trophies over the past few seasons than the Gunners have.
The only way Arsenal are an upgrade to Liverpool is the fact that they play in the Champions League. Other than that, there’s not much difference between the two clubs, certainly not at the moment. Despite the fact that a lot of Liverpool fans are now annoyed at Suarez, it’d be better for him to stay on for at least another season and score a few more goals, then force a move away from the club next summer. Another good season will drive up his market value and he’ll be able to leave on a high. He could have left on a high this season if he hadn’t run his mouth at every chance he got, but he can’t change what he’s done. I can’t honestly see Suarez even considering a move to Arsenal. However, stranger things have happened in football.
Rooney needs to force a move away from United

Wayne Rooney’s future at United seems bleak. Moyes has made it clear that the striker is not for sale at any price, and United have made it clear that they will not hesitate to run down anyone’s contract if they must. However, Moyes also made Rooney’s position at the club amply clear with his “I’ll need Wayne should something happen to Robin” comment; the English striker is no longer guaranteed a place in the starting XI at United.
Rooney has been one of United’s best performers over the past few years and even though he wasn’t quite up to his best last season, one cannot doubt his talent. However, his standing among United fans and the club’s hierarchy has never quite been the same since he first handed in a transfer request a few years back and ended up getting himself a massive contract extension. Now, it is clear that he is no longer United’s main man.
If Rooney wants to salvage his career he must somehow force a move away from United. He can always choose to stay at United and fight for a place in the starting XI, but Rooney clearly feels he has nothing to prove to United manager David Moyes. And given Moyes’ comments, Wayne would have to work VERY hard to win back his spot in United’s starting XI. Meanwhile, Mourinho has made his admiration for the player very clear. He’d be a guaranteed starter at Chelsea plus he’d be working under a manager who would know how to handle his ego. One cannot help but feel that he’ll be better off if he moves away from United.
Why did Papiss Cisse kick up such a storm? 

When Newcastle United signed a sponsorship deal with payday loan company Wonga, star striker Papiss Cisse said he wouldn’t wear a shirt with the company’s name on it due to religious reasons. The moment he said that I got suspicious. No, I’m not some Godforsaken ITK but I remembered that he had zero problems wearing Virgin Money sponsored shirts last season. And while Virgin Money’s dealings aren’t as questionable as Wonga’s, both offer credit services. So if Cisse had no problem last season, what was behind his sudden spiritual awakening?
What’s even more suspicious is that apart from Cisse, no other Muslim player at Newcastle spoke up.  Players like Hatem Ben Arfa, Moussa Sissoko and Cheick Tiote have worn the Wonga-sponsored shirt during Newcastle’s pre-season fixtures. As if all that wasn’t bad enough, Cisse’s moral stand went for a toss when he was allegedly caught gambling in a casino (gambling is not allowed in Islam).
So… did Cisse want more money? Did he want to force a move away from Newcastle? One can only speculate. However, he certainly kicked up an unnecessary storm from Newcastle’s point of view (the club are still dealing with the fall-out of appointing Joe Kinnear as their director of football) and he certainly owes the fans and the club an explanation for his actions. Especially since he was caught doing something that goes against his religious beliefs amid this silly controversy.