Arsenal chiefs face the prospect of club captain Cesc Fabregas becoming the centre of Barcelona's presidential election next year.

The Guardian says Joan Laporta, the Barcelona president, will stand down at the end of the season, as he cannot run for a third term in office, and Sandro Rosell, who used to be his vice-president before the pair fell out spectacularly, is expected to push for election. If so, Rosell would make the signing of Fábregas, who started his career at the Barcelona youth academy, one of his pledges.

Laporta would hate for Rosell to succeed where he has effectively failed, and so there are likely to be noises coming out of the club this season to the effect that Laporta has reached a gentleman's agreement for Fábregas to join next summer.