Arsenal willing to let Cesc Fabregas leave

Arsenal have abandoned efforts to keep skipper Cesc Fabregas who could be set for a return to Spanish giants Barcelona, Spanish sports newspapers said yesterday.

Gunners coach Arsene Wenger has allowed his skipper to leave on condition he does not sign with another English team, the Barcelona-based daily Mundo Deportivo said, quoting a conversation between the two. But it warned that "negotiations between the two clubs will not be easy." It said Arsenal could ask for up to 50 million euros for the 24-year-old midfielder, a star of Spain's 2010 World Cup-winning squad.