Wednesday, July 20, 2011

GreenBkk.com World Sport | Guardiola: 'Barca will fight for Fabregas'

Guardiola: 'Barca will fight for Fabregas'

July 19, 2011 -- Updated 1520 GMT (2320 HKT)


Cesc Fabregas moved to Arsenal in 2003 and has represented Spain on 58 occasions.

(CNN) -- Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola has said the Spanish and European champions will fight until the end of the transfer window to sign Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.

Guardiola, 40, is confident the Spain midfielder can improve his squad. The former Barca captain also confirmed the Catalan giants are chasing Udinese forward Alexis Sanchez.

"Barcelona have made an offer, Arsenal another and we have until 31 August to try to reach an agreement," Guardiola told a news conference.

"We will fight to the end to try to get Cesc because we believe he will improve the team and the squad."

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Fabregas, a midfielder who was a member of Spain's 2010 World Cup winning squad, is a product of Barca's La Masia youth academy, and has been frequently linked with a return to Catalonia.

Chilean international Sanchez scored 12 league goals for Udinese last season as Francesco Guidolin's side qualified for the European Champions League, and Guardiola admitted strengthening Barca's attack was more important than adding to their midfield ranks.

"Between a midfielder and a forward our priority is a forward, but there's money for two players."

But Guardiola denied Barca would only be able to sign one of the two transfer targets.

"According to what Andoni [Zubizarreta, the club's technical secretary] has told me there is enough money to sign both, and that is what we will try to do."

On Sanchez, 22, Guardiola added: "He's very young, he can play in three positions of attack ... and according to what they have told me he is a very nice guy."

Barca are currently in the U.S. as part of their preparations for the 2011-12 season and the 21-time Spanish champions begin their league title defense away to Malaga on August 21.

Credit: CNN (www.cnn.com)

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