Arsenal earn £5.6m from Fabregas' move to Chelsea... Gunners can now go after Balotelli with £100m kitty

Arsenal will pocket £5.6million from the sale of former Gunner Cesc Fabregas to Chelsea.

The Spanish midfielder completed his return to London on Thursday in a £30m move from Barcelona, signing a contract in the region of £150,000-a-week.

But the deal will also boost Arsenal's already healthy £100million transfer budget and enable them to pursue striker Mario Balotelli who is among manager Arsene Wenger's summer targets.

Blue: Cesc Fabregas has signed for Chelsea from Barcelona on a five-year deal

New signing: Fabregas will wear the No 4 shirt and counts as a homegrown player for Chelsea

Feud: Fabregas (right) has had several run-ins with Chelsea's players in the past

Raring to go: Fabregas and Spain face Holland on Friday night in their World Cup opener

Former blue: Jack Wilshere once revealed that Frank Lampard and Fabregas dislike each other

In addition to the buy-back clause, Arsenal were also believed to have struck a deal entitling them to 50 percent of the profit from Fabregas' next move.

However, Sportsmail understands the payment made to Arsenal in relation to Fabregas' move to Chelsea will come from the acceleration of all performance clauses, as if they were achieved, from the original deal in 2011.

Arsenal snubbed the chance to re-sign their former captain but will still benefit from the sale of the 27-year-old to their rivals.

And, in announcing his return to the Premier League, Fabregas was quick to underline the fact his former club rejected the chance to bring him back to the Emirates Stadium.

Fabregas came through the ranks at Arsenal, and went on to captain the side before returning to boyhood club Barcelona in 2011.

Arsenal secured a first-option buy-back clause as part of the £35million deal which saw Fabregas return to Catalonia.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had considered taking up the option once it became clear Barca were looking to sell the midfielder.

But with the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain already at the club, Wenger decided his squad did not need another creative midfielder.

Wanted: Mario Balotelli is among Arsenal's chief transfer targets this summer

Make it official: Barcelona released an official statement thanking Fabregas for his time

Team-mates: John Terry (right) squares up to Fabregas during a Premier League match in 2007

Torres and new Chelsea team-mate Fabregas prepare for Holland

Wenger and Fabregas continue to have a close relationship, while it is understood returning to north London was Fabregas' preferred destination.

Despite the fact Fabregas' move to Chelsea has been mooted for several days, there remained an element of surprise that Wenger snubbed the opportunity to re-sign Fabregas from within the club yesterday.

And the ex-Arsenal captain was at pains to point out that it was Arsenal's decision to end any potential reunion, and not vice versa.

'Firstly I would like to thank everyone at FC Barcelona where I enjoyed three wonderful years. It was my childhood club and I will always be proud and honoured that I had a chance to play for such a great team.