One of the transfer sagas of the summer is mercifully edging closer to its completion, with Manchester United poised to table a third, and final, offer for Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, as David Moyes desperately tries to bolster his squad ahead of his first season in charge of Manchester United.
United had a first £26m offer for the former Arsenal captain, but yesterday, during his press conference in Yokohama, David Moyes confirmed that United had indeed submitted a second bid for the 26-year-old, thought to be in the region of £30m, despite Barca’s claims that Fabregas is not for sale.
Today’s papers have the last developments on the saga, with the Mirror claiming United will make a final offer worth £34m, a club’s record, even though Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has written to the club, describing Fabregas as a “key part of our project.” The paper believes that, were Fabregas to stay at Barcelona, Moyes will turn his head towards Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye – for whom a £18m offer is being rumoured as concrete possibility – or Real Madrid’s Luka Modric.
On the Sun (brilliantly renamed the Son today) Gerard Pique’ tells United that £35m won’t be enough to secure Cesc Fabregas, nor will any other fee.
“United are wasting their time.
“It took a long time for Cesc to get his dream move back home and he won’t give it up. This is home, it is where his family is, and he is playing with his closest friends,” said the former United defender.
“He has told us he is happy and that he intends to stay with Barcelona.”
United’s insistence to chase unrealistic targets has been the leitmotif of their summer so far and Cabaye and Modic could prove to be easier – and cheaper – options to secure than the Barcelona midfielder, something David Moyes himself admitted yesterday.
“A point does come but when you are interested in good players you want to give it every opportunity to materialise.
“And I’ll do that. I’ll hope things can continue to try to move forward,” said the United manager.
The Guardian has the latest on Fabregas, but also offers an interest insight with Moyes, in which the former Everton manager clearly stresses the need for the club to move on from the Ferguson’s years.
“I needed it to be the David Moyes era now and I had to take David Moyes’ era and David Moyes’ time so that meant me taking some of my own people,” said Moyes about his decision to hire his former coaching staff. “But I couldn’t do it without the help of Ryan Giggs. Phil Neville had known a little bit at both clubs. But more importantly he probably knew how I worked at Everton more than Manchester United.”
Moyes was also adamant that the fans will soon realise he’s now in charge of the club and he’ll do everything it takes to be successful: “It is my team now. I have taken over, I’m in charge,” continued the United manager. “As I have said, I will use the ex-manager as much as I can because of his knowledge but it is my team now and I have to take responsibility for that. From day one, it is my team and I have to get on and show that.”
Elsewhere, the Mail reports that Chelsea are ready to submit a second offer for Wayne Rooney, worth in the region of £30m as Jose Mourinho wants to force United’s hand. The Blues are reportedly ready to offer Rooney a five-year deal worth £240,000-a-week, but the feeling is United might want to wait to secure some signings before allowing their striker to leave.
