Arsenal ace Cesc Fabregas insists he never considered following Thierry Henry to Spain this summer.

Henry joined Barcelona just as Real Madrid were pursuing Cesc, but he 20 year-old told the Guardian: "No. I always knew I would stay. Especially when Thierry went, I knew it would be a very important year for me at the club. It is a personal challenge but also a challenge for the team as well - to win something without Thierry.

"He was such a winner and of course we will miss that, but we have other options now. And if we can make it then it will mean we are a great team. We are starting a new project without players like Thierry and Patrick [Vieira] but we are capable of something special."