Wenger: I Do Not Regret Missing Out on Fabregas

Arsene Wenger insists that he does not regret passing over on Cesc Fabregas in spite of the former Arsenal man having a massive impact following his return to the Premier League.

The Gunners manager had the opportunity to sign Fabregas from Barcelona over Chelsea as the north London club had first refusal on the Spaniard, as stipulated in the contract coined during his transfer to the Nou Camp.

However, with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey in the squad, Wenger decided against adding another feted player to their repository. The decision thus far has gone markedly bad for the Frenchman, with Fabregas assisting seven goals already in the league, compared to Ozil's one, coupled with the fact that the latter is out with a knee injury for more than two months.

"I don't regret not taking Cesc because we already had a lot of creative players in our midfield," Wenger told beIN Sports.

"Chelsea will also have a difficult period [in the season]. Our schedule was extremely difficult and I have the belief that we can close the gap to them," he added.

The Gunners are currently seventh in the league, nine points behind Chelsea and need a turnaround of epic proportions to come back into the race for the title. Arsenal ended their trophy drought last season by winning the FA Cup and followed that up with the Community Shield by beating Manchester City.

However, the fans are yearning for a proper go at the Premier League title after a hiatus of over a decade. Wenger has the funds to make that happen with proper recruitment in problem areas, especially the centre of midfield, which demands an enforcer by the likes of Patrick Vieira to screen their defence. Currently Mathieu Flamini has been deputized in that position with Mikel Arteta out with a calf injury.