Arsenal midfielder Fabregas agrees eight-year deal

LONDON, Sep 13: Arsenal's Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas has agreed a new eight-year contract, manager Arsene Wenger has been quoted as saying by British media.

''Cesc will sign a new contract, yes, for eight years,'' Wenger said in today's edition of The Times.

The 19-year-old, who played at the World Cup, signed an extension last summer that was agreed when he negotiated his initial contract with the north London club.

But Wenger added: ''The real new contract is now. Nineteen plus eight is 27. There are not many players on contracts that long, but he's 19 years of age and already a regular player in the first team and I do not have a problem with it.

''I'm delighted because he was announced as a Real Madrid player a few months ago. It's a wonderful commitment and a reward for what we did for him when he was 16 and we brought him over.'' Fabregas joined Arsenal from Barcelona's youth ranks in July 2003. Real Madrid expressed interest in taking the midfielder back to Spain during the close season but he made it clear he was happy in London.

''Everything with my new contract is agreed and next week I will sign it,'' Fabregas was quoted as saying in Wednesday's British newspapers.

''Seeing how much they (Arsenal) have improved it shows how well they believe that I'm progressing and it gives me the confidence to continue working under Arsene Wenger.

''He's one of the most important people I've come across in my career,'' added the player known simply as Cesc in Spain.

For the time being Schumacher is entirely focused on the last three races in China, Japan and Brazil and trying to win that unprecedented eighth title before he hangs up his helmet. There is little chance of the 37-year-old making a comeback once he steps out of his red race car for the last time at Interlagos next month, even if there is already speculation about that as well.

Schumacher will be 38 before the start of next season, having already begun this year as the oldest man on the starting grid.

''This is going to be my last Monza race,'' he said on Sunday and those closest to him have no doubt that he means to go out on top and stay out.

''I always said that the day I will retire, I will just do nothing for a while,'' he said.

''And then I will see what I am doing, what is my mood and what's going to happen. But I will always be part of that Ferrari family. I will have to find out how, but I will always stick with my friends there.'' Schumacher earned around 58 million dollar in the year to June, according to Forbes.com, and has been the highest-paid driver for a decade.

The German has given away substantial amounts, last year alone donating 10 million dollar to help victims of the South Asian tsunami, and has been an ambassador for UNESCO.

He has also re-written the record books from top to bottom, winning more races with more pole positions and more fastest laps than anyone else.

In a 2003 book written by his spokesman Sabine Kehm, Schumacher hinted at what the future might hold for him: ''Just to live for the day, to wait and see what each day brings, I could imagine that could be exciting for a while,'' he said.

''When I finally give up, at first I will do nothing at all,'' he added.

''I am already looking forward to having no appointments, and not having the whole year planned out for me...I would like to enjoy the luxury of taking things as they come.

''I don't want to know in February everything I have to do in May, I want to get rid of the rhythm of the racing calendar. And sooner or later the roof will fall in on me.''

REUTERS