Barcelona's Lionel Messi is confident Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas will complete his return to Camp Nou.

The Gunners, who rejected a £30m bid from the Catalan giants at the beginning of the summer, have remained firm in their stance that the Spain midfielder is not for sale.

Fabregas has made no secret of the fact he would love a return to Barça, where he started his career as a youth-team player before moving to Arsenal in 2003, and admitted on Friday that he is torn between the two clubs.

It is no secret that Cesc is my friend. The whole world knows that and I would love him to sign for Barça.
Lionel Messi

Barcelona players, many of who progressed through the famous La Masia academy with Fabregas, have long pleaded with him to come back, and Messi has reiterated their desire.

"It is no secret that Cesc is my friend. The whole world knows that and I would love him to sign for Barça," the Argentina international told Spanish television station Cuatro.

"I hope that the matter can be resolved soon, and I'm confident that in the end it will be resolved in the way that Cesc can be a Barcelona player."

Fabregas still has five years remaining on his Arsenal contract, and last night manager Arsene Wenger called on the 23-year-old to make up his mind where his future lies. The player is set to link up with his team-mates after this weekend's Emirates Cup, following his extended break after helping Spain win the FIFA World Cup™.