Share

Arsenal, Barca 'agree' on Cesc

London - Catalan sports paper Mundo Deportivo claimed on Tuesday that there was a "secret agreement" between Arsenal and Barcelona regarding the transfer of Cesc Fabregas.

Mundo Deportivo said that the deal "was very close to becoming reality," despite Arsenal's insistence that they will not consider selling their 23 year-old captain, who helped Spain to win the Soccer World Cup.

The paper claimed that the negotiations between the two clubs are being "carried out with extreme discretion", in the same silent way that new Barca president Sandro Rosell bought left-back Adriano from Sevilla last week - his first signing for the club.

Mundo Deportivo said that Rosell will not pay Arsenal more than €45 million for Fabregas, who left the Barca youth sections for Arsenal when aged just 16. The official announcement will be made "before the weekend."

However, only 18 percent of Mundo Deportivo readers believe that Barca will sign Fabregas before the end of July, according to a poll published on Tuesday. Meanwhile, 45 percent believe that he will arrive in August, 37 percent think he will stay at Arsenal.

Rival daily Sport, for its part, claimed on Tuesday that Fabregas "feels disappointed" with Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger for not having kept his word, allegedly given in May, to allow the youngster to return to the Camp Nou.

Sport said that Fabregas intends to "make his feelings clear" to Wenger on Friday, when they meet in London.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE