Barcelona must be brave if they want to get Cesc Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas is still being hunted by Barcelona
11 April 2012

Barcelona were today urged to "call Arsene Wenger's bluff" over his refusal to sell Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.

Joan Gaspart was president at the Nou Camp between 2000 and 2003, in which time he negotiated the transfers of Gunners duo Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit.

Wenger had been reluctant to sell the pair but eventually agreed a £30million deal in July 2000 as the Catalan club's relentless pursuit eventually ended in success.

Barca's attempts to re-sign Fabregas have met with similar stern resistance this summer but Gaspart believes current president Sandro Rosell must meet Wenger in person if they are to get the 23-year-old.

He said: "The English are very English, very hard at the time of negotiating. Moreover, Mr Wenger, as a good Frenchman, knows how to play his cards. I have seen him in negotiations and he has ended up selling. You have to meet him face to face to know if he is bluffing.

"My advice, and that's what I've told him [Rosell], is that this will end by catching the plane to London and sitting down face to face with Wenger. Not by telephone, not with intermediaries — this has to be resolved with a meeting in person.

"Rosell must not be scared. If he fails, the whole world will understand but no one will be able to say that he didn't try until the end.

"This fear that he is going to fail — he shouldn't have it. It's very difficult for Arsenal to want to keep a player who doesn't want to stay."

Wenger described losing Petit and Overmars as "very sad" but that disappointment would be small fry compared to if he were to lose Fabregas this summer.

The Spaniard is due at Emirates Stadium on Thursday for the club's annual team photo on Members' Day with Wenger firmly expecting him to commit his future to the club.

Both Arsenal and Barca have insisted only Fabregas can resolve the situation and it is thought that he does not have the desire to publicly force through a transfer out of respect for both Wenger and Gunners supporters.

The most likely resolution still appears to be a private agreement that the World Cup winner will stay for at least one more season but Barca will improve their opening £30m offer should they receive the necessary encouragement.

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