Manchester United will further test Barcelona’s resolve to keep Cesc Fabregas by increasing their bid to £35 million for the midfielder.
Having failed with initial offers of £25 million and £30 million, a third approach may finally lure the former Arsenal man to Old Trafford.
Despite public claims that Barcelona has no wish to sell, United has always felt they would get their man eventually as they expect the La Liga champions to recoup some of the funds they used to sign Brazilian international Neymar for £48.6 million.
Manager David Moyes also appears to be encouraged that Fabregas is keen to make the move back to the Premier League, where he would reunite with his former Arsenal team mate Robin Van Persie.
The 26-year-old has remained silent throughout the last month as the bids have been lodged, evidently waiting to see how firmly Barcelona resists the increased offers.
That is being taken as a sign that he welcomes United’s
pursuit and it is inconceivable Moyes would continue to raise the stakes unless he was certain Fabregas was agreeable to the switch.
A £35 million deal would represent a club record, eclipsing the £31 million paid to Spurs for Dimitar Berbatov in 2008, and would also be Moyes’s first major statement in the transfer market.
However, Barcelona’s new coach Gerardo Martino has suggested even a fresh approach would be rebuffed.
“I’m not going to involve myself in the club’s accounts, but considering the club has already rejected two offers, I would guess it will reject a third. In other words he will remain here,” he said.
United clearly feels this is all part of the negotiation to maximise the midfielder’s value.
Fabregas moved to the Nou Camp from Arsenal for £25 million two years ago but has been unable to establish himself as a talisman of the Barca side in the same way he did at Tthe Emirates Stadium, where he was the club captain. United craves his creativity as a natural successor to the retired Paul Scholes.
As Moyes awaits the outcome of a fresh bid, there is much anticipation the arrival of new faces could have repercussions for Wayne Rooney’s future. Although United is adamant that Rooney will not be sold, and certainly not to Chelsea, the player remains determined to leave Old Trafford for Stamford Bridge.
Rooney wants to play for Jose Mourinho and would swiftly agree personal terms if he was given permission to speak to the London club, something of which United will be well aware. It would be unpalatable for United to make Rooney’s sale their first significant transfer activity of the summer, particularly for a new manager, and they will want to add significant recruits before sanctioning such a sale.
Signing a player of Fabregas’s caliber could be the key to softening the stance on Rooney when he, as expected, agitates even further for his move south as the deadline approaches. Rooney is due to feature in next week’s friendly with AIK Stockholm as he recovers from a hamstring problem.
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