Fabregas

[Shinjisan]

We will get Felliani.

I was waiting for you to mention Fellani.

So to make it seem like you at least tried and there was some activity in the transfer market. No other way to explain this. Selling him would leave Barca a bit short, the player has already said he only sees himself playing for Arsenal and Barcelona.

We are not Arsenal. Why do you think that the club will try to fool fans? You think we want to willingly shoot ourselves in the foot by not going for players?

We don't know Barcelona's plan. Like some have mentioned above, they can sign a defender and move Mascherano back to CM. May be they'll sign another mid.

 

[Backrow Singer]

Wouldn't say he's as good as Thiago, but he is proven in the Premier League and is still a quality player. We won't get to many better than Fabregas, but I'm gutted we missed out on Thiago.

 

[gaz1185]

How do we know that? Has either club confirmed an official bid? As long as they don't, it's just a rumour, not a fact.

It's very rare that the BBC, Sky Sports, most national newspapers and various other foreign journo's all state that a bid has been made for a "player" at the same time.

 

[Shane88]

So the dumb feckers we are... New out main target was Fabregas but we wait until they sell Thiago to make a bid. Barca are really likely to sell two midfielders.

It's transfer genius!

 

[Il Prete Rosso]

But I don't see first refusal having any significance. Lets say we had a bid accepted, then arsenal could match that bid regardless of first option.

If the bid is accepted then Barcelona has to give Arsenal about 50% of the transfer fee and it won't make any economical or footballing sense to sell a quality player like him for just 15 million Euro.

 

[Rado_N]

Wouldn't say he's as good as Thiago, but he is proven in the Premier League and is still a quality player. We won't get to many better than Fabregas, but I'm gutted we missed out on Thiago.

Eh? He's better, for now at least.

 

[Widnes]

It is interesting that it has been reported that the bid is under consideration and not outright rejected although still believed to be below Barca valuation, I would have expected Barca to reject £25m straight away.

 

[IhabX7]

Wouldn't say he's as good as Thiago, but he is proven in the Premier League and is still a quality player. We won't get to many better than Fabregas, but I'm gutted we missed out on Thiago.

Fabregas is currently at a higher level than Thiago.

 

[Sarni]

So the dumb feckers we are... New out main target was Fabregas but we wait until they sell Thiago to make a bid. Barca are really likely to sell two midfielders.

They'd have likely known about Thiago's desire to leave for a while, him leaving now and not two or three weeks ago won't impact their stance on Fabregas. As things stand they'll be left with Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets, Song and Fabregas for three midfield positions out of which Xavi is likely to retire or receive a lesser role with the team within 2 years. It'd be incredibly risky for them to let Fabregas go now, especially as players of his quality are hard to come by and he's loyal to them being an academy product and all.

 

[Shinjisan]

Wouldn't say he's as good as Thiago, but he is proven in the Premier League and is still a quality player. We won't get to many better than Fabregas, but I'm gutted we missed out on Thiago.

At this stage he is definitely better than Thiago.

 

[DevilRed]

Its all just one big smokescreen to divert attention away from the thiago failure

 

[Genius Me!]

If the bid is accepted then Barcelona has to give Arsenal about 50% of the transfer fee and it won't make any economical or footballing sense to sell a quality player like him for just 15 million Euro.

50% of the profit, not the actual fee.

 

[VII]

So if this Fabregas bid is rejected we'll just bid for Iniesta then.
When that get rejected too we'll bid for Messi.
Worse comes to worst we'll go back for Xavi.

 

[Maajid]

Unlikely that we've just gone in and bid for Fabregas straight away when we waited so long with Thiago to get his green light before officially approaching Barcelona. Maybe he's told us that he wants to leave? Or perhaps this is all bullshit.

 

[jojojo]

So Pep was trying to sell Fabregas the same year he signed him? Incredibly poor journalism if true, it makes no sense whatsoever.

But accurate. Mostly about off field stuff, but some of it about their on-field form.

It was a suggestion he left for Tito, but the board/Tito thought another year to prove themselves would be a safer choice.

 

[KM]

If the bid is accepted then Barcelona has to give Arsenal about 50% of the transfer fee and it won't make any economical or footballing sense to sell a quality player like him for just 15 million Euro.

That 50% of transfer fee is bollocks. It's more likely 50% of the profit. Barcelona are not retards.

 

[Il Prete Rosso]

If the bid is accepted then Barcelona has to give Arsenal about 50% of the transfer fee and it won't make any economical or footballing sense to sell a quality player like him for just 15 million Euro.

The sell clauses Arsenal put in when he was sold was simply to tell Barcelona that by no means we were willing to sell him.

 

[Sarni]

I don't think it's to divert the attention from our failure in Thiago's pursuit, we probably genuinely want Fabregas and have wanted him all along (as well as Thiago). I very much doubt we'll be able to get him but I won't be surprised if we've already contacted his agent and were let known that his client would be interested in a move. Whether he'd make it in the end is another thing but it's rare for a player to reject a move when a bid has been accepted, I can only remember a few cases (Solskjaer rejecting Spurs circa 1997).

 

[UnofficialDevil]

It's not a rumour, it's an official bid registered. They're not going to sell for £25m but we are interested.

OK then, worst bid ever.

 

[Anduin]

If the bid is accepted then Barcelona has to give Arsenal about 50% of the transfer fee and it won't make any economical or footballing sense to sell a quality player like him for just 15 million Euro.

No, presumably they have to give Arsenal 50% of any fee above the fee agreed between Arsenal and Barcelona when he moved to Barca, so 50% of anything above £25m.

And regarding the credibility of the 'rumour' again, the PA has confirmed it and a couple of journalists confirmed Moyes was talking about Fabregas at a diner in Bangkok the other week, so it must be true.

 

[Il Prete Rosso]

That 50% of transfer fee is bollocks. It's more likely 50% of the profit. Barcelona are not retards.

I could be wrong then. But it surely seemed like it when I read it.

 

[devilish]

So the dumb feckers we are... New out main target was Fabregas but we wait until they sell Thiago to make a bid. Barca are really likely to sell two midfielders.

I think that its more a matter of pressing the panic button. Thiago signed with Bayern, Marchisio and Gundogan wont leave their club, the Illarmendi guy had signed with Real and Fernandinho had joined Shitty. There's few quality CM around which are still available.

 

[Sandikan]

Would love to think there's something going on behind the scenes, and it'd be a VP style surprise if it came off.

But...it all reeks of the Tottenham of old and current day Arsenal style ridiculous links.

 

[gaz1185]

If it's 50% of the profit, then the bid we've put in makes perfect sense.

 

[StuCol]

I left for about 20 mins and there were 3 more pages

 

[Pexbo]

Yep the PR machine are in full swing.

Does what you are suggesting actually make any sense to you?

You're suggesting that the club is trying to please the fans with lots of high profile targets when really we will only go for mid table players. This isn't 2005, we know the Glazers are running the finances well and the club has cash to spend.

The scenario you are suggesting would just make a mockery of the club. Attempting to get a list of high profile signings, failing and signing midtable players instead. But, "at least we tried". Yeah that'll please the fans and do the brand a world of good.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

If the bid is accepted then Barcelona has to give Arsenal about 50% of the transfer fee and it won't make any economical or footballing sense to sell a quality player like him for just 15 million Euro.

Do you really think Barcelona would bend over for arsenal and accept losing 50% of any transfer fee?

It's obviously 50% of anything over what they paid for him.

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

I don't think BBC would be running this story if they weren't absolutely sure that it happened.

True, they're actually as a story in their news bulletins and not merely on their website in a gossip section or some such.

 

[Vasey20|13]

Sky Sports News and BBC don't scroll 'BREAKING NEWS' on a story unless it holds some water.

At no point did SSN have anything other than 'speculation' about us being in for Thiago despite how long that dragged on. They're saying we've made a bid. Which means we've made a bid for me.

 

[Sarni]

That 50% of transfer fee is bollocks. It's more likely 50% of the profit. Barcelona are not retards.

True. It wouldn't even be in Arsenal's interest to put in such a clause because it'd basically mean that Barcelona would never sell him, they'd rather run his contract down.

 

[devilish]

As long as we get someone else like fabregas to go with him I couldn't give a toss.

If we bring Felliani AND Fabregas then I honestly believe we would have a CM which is at par with that of Bayern and Barca. It wont happen though.

 

[Backrow Singer]

At this stage he is definitely better than Thiago.

Potentialy he could be Worldd Class, which is what I was getting at. Fabregas is a quality player, but as I say, Thiago has the ability to be anything he wants to be. I'd be delighted if we signed him, but looking at things long term, I'm gutted we missed out on him.

Would love Fabregas at the club though.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

Just seen on Twitter that Tito coached Fabregas from the age of fourteen, and that he played in most games last season. That, and the fact Fabregas has stated he's happy at Barcelona has their fans fairly confident no deal will materialise.

 

[Seveneric]

I was waiting for you to mention Fellani.





We are not Arsenal. Why do you think that the club will try to fool fans? You think we want to willingly shoot ourselves in the foot by not going for players?

We don't know Barcelona's plan. Like some have mentioned above, they can sign a defender and move Mascherano back to CM. May be they'll sign another mid.

No, but Moyes and everyone else has been doing the "we're United, always in for the best" etc. I think the club is trying more to placate the fans, with a new manager and all. Show that he's ambitious and all that. I don't think we're not going for players, maybe differe ones from the player's reported about

 

[Sarni]

Does what you are suggesting actually make any sense to you?

You're suggesting that the club is trying to please the fans with lots of high profile targets when really we will only go for mid table players. This isn't 2005, we know the Glazers are running the finances well and the club has cash to spend.

The scenario you are suggesting would just make a mockery of the club. Attempting to get a list of high profile signings, failing and signing midtable players instead. But, "at least we tried". Yeah that'll please the fans and do the brand a world of good.

People were saying the same thing about our pursuit of van Persie last season. Pretending to be interested about something you don't genuinely want is no way to run a business.

 

[Il Prete Rosso]

50% of the profit, not the actual fee.

Stand corrected. You're right.

 

[Freak]

All this needs now is Wenger coming out and saying he wants Fabregas or no one and this will end as well.

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

A few pages ago, I said this won't happen.

The muppet in me has just woken up from its slumber. THIS IS VERY MUCH HAPPENING. GO ON MOYES'!

 

[Cina]

Potentialy he could be Worldd Class, which is what I was getting at. Fabregas is a quality player, but as I say, Thiago has the ability to be anything he wants to be. I'd be delighted if we signed him, but looking at things long term, I'm gutted we missed out on him.

Would love Fabregas at the club though.

I think people are letting Fabregas' time at Barca skew how good he really is. He's still one of the worlds very best midfielders and it would take a lot for Thiago to become better. I'd say both were equally as talented at their respective ages and if anything Fabregas was the more accomplished player aged 22 than Thiago.

 

[Acquire Me]

Potentialy he could be Worldd Class, which is what I was getting at. Fabregas is a quality player, but as I say, Thiago has the ability to be anything he wants to be. I'd be delighted if we signed him, but looking at things long term, I'm gutted we missed out on him.

Would love Fabregas at the club though.

Could be worldclass, sure, but Fabregas is worldclass.

 

[FCBarca]

Why did he sign him in the first place then? Or was it more of a president's transfer because he wanted a la Masla product back?

Everyone wanted him back, Laporta, Pep & Rosell. It was always going to happen. Of course, sometimes you regret the things you think you need/want the most. Probably why the club resisted loans for a few years there when there youths available to be promoted. The fear that their Barcelona training would be evaporate from their game the way it did for Cesc. Although Deulofeu's loan to Everton is a curious one, especially with the #10 shirt