Is He or Isn't He?

I have to say that the transfer periods that occur in January and the summer are the most annoying things about footy.  The constant "inside stories" batted around by the press, claiming to know the boardroom dealings of billion-dollar clubs (like United) is laughable.
Cesc Fabregas, the Spanish midfielder at Arsenal, has been leaving, staying, leaving, staying, leaving, staying for more than two seasons now.  Schooled in la Masia (Barcelona's academy), he was plucked at a young age to play for the Gunners.  Their dearth of trophies has made the 23-yr-old pine to play for Barcelona.  His Spanish National Team mates (some of whom play for Barca) have spoken in the press ad nauseam that he belongs at Barca and he can't wait to leave Arsenal, blah blah blah.  Well OF COURSE he does.  Arsenal hasn't won anything and the club's tight-fisted manager promises the fans that youth is the key (although they win nothing) and they should hold out...the fans are tired of holding out and the empty promises of big signings every summer have the Gunner faithful up in arms!
Barcelona has been very successful in recent years and I'm sure Cesc thinks he will walk on to the team and they'll win gobs of trophies...but the interesting thing that most people fail to mention is...CESC ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY FOR BARCELONA!!!!  He doesn't start for the Spanish NT (who won the World Cup and Euro 2008)...in fact he barely plays for the NT.  Why does Cesc think he will go to Barcelona and automatically have a starting position with a team that is already successful?  He will be warming the bench for when Xavi or Iniesta get tired and want to be subbed off. 
Arsenal is asking a ludicrous price for a player who has done nothing since being at Arsenal.  When Cristiano Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid from United, his 80mil price was warranted because he was the league's leading player, the reigning World Player of the Year, and a player ANYONE would want for their starting XI.  Cesc?  Constantly crocked, ineffective in big matches, loses the ball more than anyone on the team....need I say more?
Well, Arsene Wenger has finally relented and agreed (according to the papers) to let Cesc go...FINALLY!!!!!!!!  So sick of hearing about it.
Samir Nasri seems to be heading out of the Emirates as well...ironically Nasri is a better player than Cesc, but to his detriment was not a member of the Spanish NT...and seems bound for Man Poo...not exactly a step up in my estimation...

United's own transfer saga involves one Wesley Sneijder...formerly of Real Madrid (until he was unceremoniously dumped two season ago and sold to Inter Milan...where he won the Champions League the following season with Inter AT MADRID!), and a member of the Dutch National Team, who were the runners up to Spain in last year's World Cup.  Wesley's Inter of last year was horrible and lost out to AC Milan for the prized Scudetto of the Serie A...or Serie Blahhh as I call it.
The rumors have been rampant about Sneijder's impending arrival at United, supposedly in line to take the retiring Paul Scholes' place in midfield.  He is a good player and the pulse of United fans has been mostly positive...but...he's 27.  SAF and the board at United have a rule about not paying top dollar for anyone over 26.  Why?  Because a 4-yr or longer contract would find the player in their early 30s at the end of the contract and not worth much in the resale market.
Dimitar Berbatov was a one-off in that category and was purchased at age 27 a few years ago...but he was also the league's leading scorer last year (tying an unmentionable troll for that title). 
Wesley has had an off year with Inter and many think he wants to move on and United have the money to purchase him so he had his agent toss United's name in to the whirlpool that is the public transfer market.
But...United never do business in the press so I was skeptical when I heard that "it was a done deal."  Many are still saying that today, but now The Guardian, a UK newspaper is reporting that a "boardroom-level source" has told them that the deal is dead and Sneijder will not be joining United by the end of this month.  The supposed reason is Sneijder's outlandish wage demand.
.........big sigh........
So Is He or Isn't He?  I have no idea.

Marouane Chamakh laughs with wantaway Cesc Fabregas earlier this week

"YES!!! I could be playing for United!"--Wesley Sneijder