Cesc Fabregas has revealed that Manchester United are the only team in English football he truly admires and watches.
But any hopes the English champions, or for that matter their Spanish counterparts Real Madrid, have of prying him away from Emirates Stadium will be dashed by the news that the Spanish starlet can quite happily see himself staying at Arsenal "for all my life".
On the eve of tomorrow's clash between Arsenal and United, Fabregas highlighted Sir Alex Ferguson's side as his club's main title rivals and claimed their style of play sets them apart from the Gunners' other opponents.
He said: "I think Arsenal and Man United are different from everyone else. I love the way they play, they are a great side. I always watch them play and they are the only team I really like watching in England every week."
Fabregas will be up against United's Cristiano Ronaldo at Emirates Stadium in a battle of the two most creative players in the Premier League.
On current form, according to teammate Emmanuel Adebayor, there is however no contest as to who is the better player.
Adebayor said: "At the moment Cesc is the best in the world. It's between him and Barcelona's Lionel Messi. He's a great player, too, but, for me, at the moment it's Cesc Fabregas. It's not just because he's a team-mate but the way he plays. Absolutely fantastic."
Fabregas, who is contracted to Arsenal for a further seven years, admits he has a soft spot for the glamour of United but says he could not see himself playing for another English club.
He said: "Right now, no. Of course I love the way Man United play and Old Trafford is a great stadium. When you play there you always have a feeling that you are a footballer and it is a big game. For me, I hope to stay here [Arsenal] for all my life but in football you never know and Man United I like.
"At the moment I am very happy here and to be here. In three years they might not want me here and you have to change [clubs]. At the moment I'm very happy here and I don't see the point of moving."
The brilliant Spaniard is frequently linked with a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid in the Spanish press and admits the stories do get a bit tiresome at times.
"What can I do? I don't make the calls. I just play football and they say what they want. I just play football. It's all I can do and what I like.
"I am Spanish. My cars are still Spanish. But I like England, I like London. I like the people. I don't feel English or half English but I wouldn't mind if my son or sons were English."
If Fabregas stays at Arsenal for the entirety of his contract, he will have been at the club 11 years but he claims that is not unusual.
"No," he explained. "Look at [Patrick] Vieira, [Thierry] Henry, Ray Parlour, Martin Keown. These kind of players have been here all their life. Look at Raul in Spain. Xavi and [Carlos] Puyol for Barcelona. They have played all their life for the same club."
Fabregas has been an inspirational figure in Arsenal's remarkable unbeaten start to the campaign, scoring 10 goals and providing seven assists in the 15 games he has played.
But, in a stark warning to United and rest of the League, the Spaniard does not subscribe to the view that he is playing the best football of his career.
He explained: "No, I wouldn't say that. I don't feel as if I have been playing my best football. But I have been scoring goals. I am not a different player. I've know I can score goals since I was young. "But how many chances did I have last season? They never went in. This year I have less chances and nearly everything goes in. Now I realise in football that if you score goals you are seen as better but for me I still think I am the same player.
"I try to score goals but that is not my job. My job is to play good football and create goals rather than score them."
