Barca baulk at Fabregas price tag

Barcelona President Sandro Rosell insists the club will not increase their offer for Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas in the close season.

The Catalan giants made a number of bids for their former youth player Fabregas in the 2010 off-season, with the Spanish World Cup winner even announcing his desire to re-join the club.But Arsenal rejected the offers, with manager Arsene Wenger convincing his key man to remain at the Emirates Stadium.Fabregas reportedly tops the list of coach Pep Guardiola’s preferred transfer targets and Barca are expected to return to the negotiating table at the end of the season.Nevertheless, Rosell maintains the club will not be held to ransom for the 23-year-old midfielder.”Barca is not disposed to pay 50million euros for Cesc Fabregas next summer,” Rosell told Catalan newspaper Sport.”That is decided and, although Guardiola demands this player, we will not pay this amount.””It is impossible due to a simple reason. In football, prices are reduced each year and, if we offered Arsenal 40m euros for Cesc last summer, 50m euros is now impossible.””If the coach demands Cesc we will negotiate with the Gunners, but at a correct limit and without madness and, if the operation is not possible, we will wait for other opportunities.”Arsenal have no made no secret of their displeasure at Barca’s public courtship of Fabregas in recent seasons. Hostility between the two clubs increased when the English Premier League side snared 16-year-old Barca youngster Jon Toral for 300,000 pounds in February. Toral is the latest product of the Barca academy to be enticed to Arsenal, following the recruitment of Fabregas, Fran Merida and Ignasi Miquel.”Our relationship with Arsenal is not good,” Rosell said.”The Toral issue has not pleased us.”Barca’s strained finances will also play a part in determining the outcome of the Fabregas saga, with Rosell revealing the club would have to offload existing players if they are to up their offer.”The future of Cesc is in his hands and we could only negotiate with Arsenal if Guardiola insists,” he said.”Only with any sale is it possible to increase the money for the negotiations.”