Cesc Fabregas supports a cap on the amount a team can spend on transfer fees in the English Premier League. The Arsenal midfielder said it could be a good idea in order to prevent fees from spiraling out of control.

"The agent would not be able to go above what a player is actually worth," Fabregas said.

The issue of transfer fees has come to the fore recently with Manchester City's new owners saying money is no object for new players. The United Arab Emirates investors paid a British record fee of 32.5 million pounds (US$58 million) to sign Robinho.

Fabregas, 21, was named in an initial "dream team" of targeted players by one of the investors, but Arsenal reportedly said City shouldn't even bother offering 100 million pounds for players like him or teammate Theo Walcott.

In the interview, Fabregas sought to silence critics who say Arsenal's midfield doesn't have enough depth without him and that the team can't challenge for a trophy this season.

The London club's midfield played poorly in a 1-0 defeat to Fulham on August 23, the only points the club have dropped in the league so far, and a match in which Fabregas didn't play. After the defeat, Arsenal won its next three league matches.

The Fulham defeat "was only one game. It was a coincidence that I wasn't there. I was injured and we lost," the Spain international said. "But this doesn't mean anything. With or without me, the team is the same. We continue to play well ... we've bounced back from the defeat and that's the most important thing."

Arsenal tops the standings with 12 points and faces Hull today at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners, widely praised for their style of football, haven't won the league since 2004 or a major trophy since they lifted the FA Cup in 2005. Manager Arsene Wenger, while widely supported among fans, has received some criticism for not spending big and relying on young players.

Arsenal philosophy

But Fabregas said Wenger's philosophy works even when Arsenal is not winning. "The fans, all of Europe, enjoy watching Arsenal play," he said, but acknowledged that Gunners fans crave a trophy and "deserve it."

Fabregas also hailed Arsenal's younger players, calling their 6-0 League Cup thrashing of Sheffield United on Tuesday without the help of big name first team players "sensational." The average age of the team, which included players like 16-year-old Jack Wilshere, was just 19.

"Everyone played their part and were fantastic," Fabregas said.

The player also said he read the Spanish translation of "Fever Pitch," a 1992 memoir by Nick Hornby about how he survived his parents' divorce and other crises by becoming an obsessed fan of Arsenal.

Fabregas said he found it interesting to read about many of Arsenal's former players and how coaching tactics and the type of play have changed so drastically since the 1970s.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily 27, 2008)