Arsenal board ready to sell Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona - BBC

[BeautifulGame]

Arsenal are prepared to sell Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona if the two clubs can agree a price for the Spanish midfielder, BBC Sport has learned.

The Premier League club have rejected an initial bid for their captain but are now bracing themselves for an improved offer.

A senior Arsenal official said: "The offer was made formally in writing to our chief executive (Ivan Gazidis), and we said no straight away."

When asked if the club expected an improved offer this week, the source said: "Possibly yes, and if it's enough then I expect we'll have to sell."

Arsenal's stance appears to have shifted since last season when they rejected two offers from Barcelona for Fabregas, a former trainee at the Nou Camp, and stated they had no intention of selling him at any price.

Since then, American billionaire Stan Kroenke has taken control of the London club and now faces the first major decision of his reign.

Barcelona's president Sandro Rosell said last week that Fabregas was trying to pave the way for a return to the club he left as a 16-year-old, but that the heavily indebted Spanish giants would not pay more than £35m for him.

Barcelona's latest bid is reported to be around £27m, well short of Arsenal's valuation of more than £40m.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger may still object to any sale, and Kroenke will rely on his manager's guidance when making a decision.

But Arsenal's board, consisting of Kroenke, Gazidis, chairman Peter Hill-Wood and directors Ken Friar, Sir Chips Keswick and Lord Harris of Peckham are aware of the difficulties of keeping the 24-year-old against his will.

His recent injury problems, combined with the emergence of Jack Wilshere, and the likely arrival of Argentinian Ricardo Alvarez, may also have influenced their thinking.


Fabregas is in Barcelona this week on a holiday, and his former club would like to complete a deal before he has to return to pre-season training in London next Tuesday ahead of a tour to the Far East.

Sources in Spain say that Barcelona have already begun talks with one of Europe's leading sports agencies over maximising the commercial opportunities of Fabregas' potential homecoming, suggesting a degree of confidence the deal can be finalised.

Meanwhile, former director Lady Bracewell-Smith, who made millions of pounds selling her 15.9% stake in the club to Kroenke this year, enabling him to take control of Arsenal, has rejected calls from some fans for the return of former vice-chairman David Dein, who was sacked in 2007.

On her Twitter account, Lady Bracewell-Smith said: "No Dein. Root cause of all the troubles at AFC. Unable to work with other board members."

So finally Arsenal has changed their stance from not for sale to will sell if the price is right.It seems the saga will finally come to a close this season.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13928823.stm

[windkick]

I don't want to lose Thiago

[EarlyPrototype]

Cesc to Barca and Thiago out.

Kaka out and Thiago in.

very unlikely but

[Guiltybystander]

If Madrid buys Thiago, it would make my year.

Also, even though Fabregas is a nice guy, if he gets injured immediately.

EDIT: I am only slightly bitter as a Madrid and Arsenal fan.

[Jay29]

We haven't changed our stance. This has been our stance from the get-go.

In fact since this whole saga, the situation has always been that if they bid the right amount of cash, we'll sell Fabregas. The BBC are pretty much just beating a dead horse.

[windkick]

Cesc to Barca and Thiago out.

Kaka out and Thiago in.

very unlikely but

I would give you Thiago for that blonde in your sig

very unlikely but

[EarlyPrototype]

Cesc to Barca and Thiago out.

Kaka out and Thiago in.

very unlikely but

I would give you Thiago for that blonde in your sig

very unlikely but

Something may be arranged.

[Raptorgunner]

For the right price you can buy any player, Arsenal want around 50 mill that's what the paper are saying,and Barcelona only offering half of that. Barcelona are not serious about Cesc and Arsenal don't a crap.

Don't believe the news, Arsenal don't need the money and don't want to sell.

[Guiltybystander]

I also think it's not going to happen - Barcelona don't want Fabregas right now. They just want to keep him hot on coming to Barca, so he doesn't go anywhere else. They'll wait another season or 2 until Xavi is done playing, and either buy him if he developed to be good enough or let it go and buy someone else if he is still as injury prone etc. Plus he will be cheaper because he'll only have one year left on his contract.

[Adrian0911]

i believe arsenal should cash on him now.
if he stays another year(half a year) injured, his value will drop and then they be lucky to get 25.
with 30-35m you could buy his replacement..or give wilkshere the role and cover other positions you need reinforcement. like defense or a goalkeeper. or maybe a striker if chamakh can't replace van persie when he gets injured.

that my opinion.

[Albiceleste]

Rosell won't pay above 30-35 mill for Cesc

[Swanhends]

Rosell won't pay above 30-35 mill for Cesc

yeah and arsenal won't sell below 35-40m

which is why we have to deal with this transfer saga every freaking window

the stories are all just recycled stuff over and over, nothing has changed

[Gil]

Get in. Hopefully we can poach Thiago off Barca now.

[Adrian0911]

Rosell won't pay above 30-35 mill for Cesc

yeah and arsenal won't sell below 35-40m

which is why we have to deal with this transfer saga every freaking window

the stories are all just recycled stuff over and over, nothing has changed

maybe if thiago would really go the other way, arsene would lower his demands. and maybe affelay to, as barcelona rarely use him, and with sanchez coming, it would be even harder for him to play.

[Guiltybystander]

Barcelona is not going to sell Affelay, that would be REALLY REALLY stupid.

[BeautifulGame]

The key point IMO is Arsenal are only holding for around 40mil so its not hard to find a middle ground 35 mil particularly if Wenger has given his word to Fabregas last summer.

[the xcx]

Barcelona is not going to sell Affelay, that would be REALLY REALLY stupid.

I wouldnt count on that, they have been stupid before.

[I-no]

thiago, come to real madrid baby, canales out!

[M99]

They should just get this over with. Sick and tired of the rumors every freakin hour.

[RealGunner]

its barcelona's fault.

if they had paid 40-45m last year, it would have been finished. Same thing again, if they had offered 40-45m for him and not 27m, deal could have been done before

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