The more Wenger read Steve Rowley's report on Cesc and watched footage of him, the more he liked the player.
Cesc was intelligent on the pitch.
He thought constantly, read the game extremely well, and possessed excellent passing and playmaking ability.
Some players required extensive observation before you could judge their potential.
Others needed only a few minutes.
Watch them play, and you immediately knew they possessed something special.
Cesc undoubtedly belonged to the second category.
Wenger had seen plenty of gifted players.
Anelka.
Henry.
Bergkamp.
All of them were geniuses in their own way.
And Wenger was convinced that Cesc belonged in the same category.
Nobody could resist a genius.
Just as nobody could deny Ronaldo's talent.
You might criticise the Brazilian for his weight, his lack of discipline, or his reluctance to work harder than necessary.
But at his peak, his technique and natural ability had been so extraordinary that even people who disliked him had been forced to admire him.
Some had even become captivated by him.
"Steve, come to my office for a moment."
Wenger called for Steve Rowley.
A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door.
Rowley entered.
He respected the Frenchman enormously.
Wenger had transformed Arsenal.
He had turned them into one of the Premier League's strongest clubs and given them a genuine opportunity to break Manchester United's dominance.
More than that, he had completely changed Arsenal's football.
They now played with elegance, imagination, and attacking flair.
Wenger himself was equally distinctive.
Even his rivals had to admit that with his calm manner and refined appearance, he looked more like a university professor than a football manager.
"Francesc Fàbregas," Wenger said.
"Have you contacted him yet?"
Rowley nodded.
"Yes, Boss.
"I've already spoken with his agent.
"They're very interested in our approach.
"Barcelona aren't prepared to give Cesc any clear guarantees about his future.
"Even Iniesta is considering leaving at the moment.
"Nobody there is paying much attention to a sixteen-year-old academy player."
Wenger nodded.
"Good.
"Steve, I want him in London.
"He has enormous potential.
"I have a feeling his ceiling is extremely high."
Rowley nodded.
"Then I'll go to Barcelona immediately and speak with the player and his agent."
"You can make him a promise.
"Tell him that within three years, I guarantee he'll be part of the first-team squad.
"And we'll offer him a professional contract."
Rowley nodded and turned to leave.
"Steve, wait."
Wenger suddenly stopped him.
After thinking for a moment, he changed his mind.
"Forget it.
"I'll go myself.
"I want to see the boy play in person.
"I've heard he's expected to play in the Under-17 World Cup in August."
"But the FA Cup final is the day after tomorrow," Rowley reminded him.
Wenger remained calm.
"Don't worry, Steve.
"I know exactly how I want to approach that match."
Rowley could only nod.
...
That evening, Wenger and Steve Rowley appeared outside La Masia.
Both had made an effort to avoid attracting attention.
Wenger in particular had dressed inconspicuously.
If the English newspapers discovered that Arsenal's manager had slipped into Barcelona days before the FA Cup final to scout one of La Masia's brightest prospects, the story would dominate the headlines.
Fortunately, there were plenty of people watching the academy session from outside.
Many were parents.
Nobody paid much attention to Wenger or Rowley.
"That's Cesc," Rowley said, pointing towards one of the players.
Wenger's eye for talent immediately picked out several outstanding prospects.
The two who interested him most were Cesc and the young centre-back Gerard Piqué.
Cesc, however, stood out above everyone else.
During the training match, he was excellent.
He created chances for teammates.
He also scored twice himself.
As a professional manager, Wenger paid particular attention to the way Cesc understood the game.
People often said that first touch and passing were matters of talent.
There was truth in that.
Receiving the ball cleanly required awareness of the space around you.
Passing required vision and an understanding of what was about to happen.
Accuracy could be improved through endless repetition.
Game intelligence could develop with experience.
But true vision was more difficult to teach.
Some players never developed it.
They could not recognise how an opponent's shape was changing.
They could not see the gaps appearing before everyone else.
Cesc could.
His reading of the game was exceptional for his age.
His touch was refined.
His control was excellent.
He protected the ball well.
But what impressed Wenger most was his awareness.
Cesc repeatedly moved into space before receiving possession.
Then, once the ball arrived, he often found the most dangerous passing option almost immediately.
"He's a genius, Steve," Wenger said quietly.
Watching Cesc control the rhythm of the youth match, Wenger could already picture him in Arsenal's midfield.
Vieira providing the power and defensive presence.
Cesc controlling possession and organising attacks.
Pires on the left.
Ljungberg on the right.
Manchester United had their famous midfield quartet.
Give Cesc another year or two, and Arsenal could build one of their own.
They remained outside the training ground for around half an hour.
Cesc continued to impress.
Once the session ended and the academy players returned inside, Wenger turned towards Rowley.
"Contact his agent.
"We have to get him.
"Whatever it takes.
"He's a genuine genius.
"He could become one of the foundations of this club's future."
Rowley had rarely seen Wenger this excited about a player.
He immediately pulled out his phone and called José Díaz.
The conversation did not go as expected.
Within moments, Rowley's confident expression disappeared.
On the other end of the line, Díaz sounded almost amused.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Rowley.
"Cesc has decided to leave Barcelona.
"But he won't be joining Arsenal.
"He's chosen another English club."
Rowley nearly threw his phone to the ground.
He felt as though he had been played.
Worse, humiliated.
"What happened, Steve?" Wenger asked.
Rowley took a moment to calm himself.
Then he sighed.
"I'm sorry, Boss.
"This was my mistake."
Wenger's expression changed.
"What happened?"
A bad feeling had already begun to form.
Rowley looked miserable.
"Cesc has decided to leave Barcelona.
"But he won't be joining us.
"He's already agreed terms with another club.
"From tomorrow, he'll belong to them."
For the first time, Wenger visibly lost his composure.
He valued Cesc enormously.
He had come to Barcelona personally because he believed the deal was still there to be completed.
Now all that effort had come to nothing.
Still, he forced himself to remain calm.
"Who?"
He paused.
"Manchester United?
"Ferguson?"
"No, Boss.
"Not Manchester United."
Rowley hesitated.
"But they are from Manchester.
"It's our opponent in the FA Cup final.
"The Red Rebels."
Wenger's expression hardened immediately.
He was rarely an openly angry man.
But at that moment, he genuinely felt humiliated.
"I'm sorry, Boss," Rowley continued.
"I should have moved faster.
"At the very least, before you made the final decision, I should have secured Cesc's interest properly.
"Then even if New Manchester United approached him, he would have hesitated.
"But..."
Wenger glared at him.
For a moment, he genuinely wanted to explode at the scout.
Rowley had made it sound as though Arsenal were perfectly positioned to sign one of Europe's brightest young talents.
Now the player was gone.
And what made it worse was Cesc's choice.
He had rejected Arsenal, one of England's biggest clubs, for a newly promoted Premier League side.
Wenger could barely understand it.
Fine.
If that was your choice, then I'll show you in the final exactly how wrong you were.
In the end, Wenger said nothing.
He forced the anger back down.
Then he sighed and turned away.
Rowley followed silently.
...
The FA Cup final on May 17 had already attracted enormous attention.
Partly because New Manchester United were facing Arsenal.
Partly because of several unusual stories surrounding the occasion.
Traditionally, the FA Cup trophy was presented to the winners by a member of the Royal Family.
This season, however, Buckingham Palace had initially declined the FA's invitation.
The response suggested that the FA choose a respected figure from English football instead.
The FA therefore invited Sir Bobby Robson, who had recently been knighted, to present the trophy.
Then New Manchester United reached the final.
Suddenly, the situation changed.
King Charles, then Prince of Wales, and his two sons all expressed interest in attending the final and taking part in the presentation ceremony.
The FA was forced to alter its plans.
Naturally, the British media seized on the story.
During one interview, Charles explained that attending the FA Cup final had become part of an agreement with his sons.
As their father, he said, he had to honour it.
"Why were the princes so determined for you to attend?" one reporter asked.
Charles laughed.
"Because they're Ethan Yu fans.
"They were hoping I could create an opportunity for them to meet him.
"And while they're at it, they want to meet Eva Snow and perhaps have dinner with them."
The reporters burst out laughing.
The two princes were still young.
Like many people their age, they admired Ethan.
His companies had become enormously popular with younger consumers.
Add Hollywood superstar Eva Snow to the equation, and Charles's sudden enthusiasm for the event became much easier to understand.
There was another unusual element to the final.
Cardiff had been hit by persistent heavy rain in the days leading up to the match.
Because of the weather, the FA decided that the Millennium Stadium roof would be closed.
It would be the first FA Cup final in history played entirely under a closed roof.
Coincidentally, when New Manchester United had won the League Cup the previous season, the Millennium Stadium roof had also been closed.
That had been another first.
Now, for the second major domestic cup final in succession, the Red Rebels found themselves involved in another unprecedented occasion.
Was it merely coincidence?
Or was it another sign?
Perhaps the FA Cup was destined to belong to New Manchester United as well.
(To be continued.)