Source: Daily_Mail
Arsenal reject £35m bid from Barcelona for Cesc Fabregas
[LNB]Arsenal have rejected Barcelona's latest ?35million offer for wantaway captain Cesc Fabregas.[LNB]The Gunners board are demanding a fee in the region of ?40m for the Spanish midfielder which Barcelona seem either unwilling or unable to manage.[LNB]The La Liga champions have offered ?29m upfront with a further ?6m in add-ons.[LNB] When will this nightmare end? Cesc Fabregas was back in training with Arsenal[LNB]The Catalan club's negotiations are being handled by Josep Maria Bartomeu, the vice sporting director and technical director Andoni Zubizarreta.[LNB]The club's former goalkeeper Zubizarreta said: 'Negotiations will not be relayed. We have time for discussions and must respect the club Cesc belongs to.'[LNB]Fabregas wants to return to the Nou Camp but at the same time Arsenal are in no mood to offload their captain for less than what they consider the market price.[LNB]While the transfer window is open until the end of August, a more realistic deadline is August 16 or 17 when Arsenal face a Champions League qualifying tie.[LNB] Going nowhere: Cesc Fabregas will have to wait for his move to Barcelona[LNB] Fabregas is believed to be deeply concerned by the possibility that he will be forced to take part, which would immediately leave him cup-tied in the same competition should he join Barcelona, although if Arsenal fail to qualify he would not be cup-tied. [LNB]In the meantime Arsene Wenger is set to play Fabregas for the first time in 13 weeks in the Eusebio Cup against Benfica in Lisbon on Saturday. [LNB]Meanwhile, Arsenal's majority shareholder Stan Kroenke was in London on Thursday night in an attempt to finally sort out the transfer saga. [LNB]Kroenkewas in the capital to attend the club's annual members day at the Emirates. But more importantly the American tycoon hopes his trip to England will resolve the long-running uncertainty over Fabregas' protracted switch to Barcelona. [LNB] [LNB] In the stands: Fabregas has missed all Arsenal's pre-season games this summer[LNB]Barca continued to woo Fabregas with the midfielder's international team-mate Andres Iniesta saying: 'We have said it many times before. We would be thrilled with his arrival.[LNB] 'We are speaking about one of the best, but it all depends on the two clubs as well as the player's wishes.' [LNB]Kroenke's arrival in London is a clear indication that he, like Wenger, no longer wants the burden of Fabregas' situation to overshadow the build up to the new season. [LNB]Wenger told Kroenke he wants the matter resolved as quickly as possible so he can plan for life with the 24-year-old or line up a replacement - with Juan Mata believed to be at the top of Arsenal's list.[LNB] Personal intervention: Arsenal's majority shareholder Stan Kroenke[LNB]Fabregas came face-to-face with around 3,000 Gunners fans on Thursday at the club's members day and was given awarm reception by supporters despite his desire to quit the club. [LNB]And the Spain international did not shirk his responsibilities as club skipper, signing autographs for supporters - though he did remain silent as fans questioned him on his future.[LNB] Positively, Fabregas showed no sign of the hamstring injury Arsenal say has caused him to miss the entire pre-season fixture campaign. [LNB]The World Cup winner is now expected to travel to Portugal ahead of what could be his first pre-season appearance against Benfica - unless Kroenke gives him the green light to finalise his move back to Catalunya. [LNB] Andres's plea: Iniesta is the latest Barca player to call for Fabregas to join[LNB]Thursday's downpour forced the club to postpone their official team photo, which may ultimately spare them the embarrassment of being left with one that includes Fabregas were he to leave. [LNB] However, Fabregas did pose for annual in-house photos and videos as well as completing the usual pre-season pictures for Sky Sports. [LNB] CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE FANTASY FOOTBALL GAMELet's sort it, Cesc! Kroenke jets in to thrash out Fabregas future after Barca bid ?35mArsenal could throw Fabregas deal into doubt by playing Barca target in Euro play-offAll the latest Arsenal news, features and opinion[LNB]
