Cesc Fabregas appears to have dealt a major blow to Manchester United's transfer plans by insisting he intends to remain at Barcelona. David Moyes was keen to make Fabregas his first major signing since replacing Sir Alex Ferguson and has made two bids for the midfielder.
But speaking publicly for the first time since those offers were made, Fabregas rejected any suggestion he was ready to force through a move to Old Trafford. "My dream has always been to play at Barca and nothing has changed," he said.
"I'm very, very happy here and I never thought about leaving. It has cost me a lot to return to Barca and now I want to triumph here. Things have been invented. It's also not true that I have asked for a contract renewal. I didn't have to clear up anything, because, for me, it was clear I wanted to stay. I told the club I'd talk when it was my turn.
"I was never given any sign from the club to make me think they didn't want me, I have always felt wanted here. I spoke to the president [Sandro Rosell] in person and Tata [Gerardo Martino, the new Barca coach] also told me he wanted me to stay and there's been no problem.
"What I have to do is do everything better because I'm at the biggest and most demanding club in the world." Martino suggested it would be for Fabregas to decide if he returned to England, so the midfielder's comments seem to end United's chase. United issued a statement of their own saying they respected Fabregas's remarks. "We appreciate Cesc is a contracted player at Barcelona and completely respect everything Cesc has said today," said a spokesperson.
There are suggestions Moyes is already turning his attention elsewhere, although Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini would be a surprise alternative to Fabregas. The Belgian is a completely different style of player, a physically domineering midfielder rather than a natural replacement for Paul Scholes such as Fabregas.
Indeed, Moyes found Fellaini was more usefully employed as a secondary striker during their period together at Everton, accommodating him much more successfully further up the park. That suggests Moyes will need a more technically gifted alternative, with Luka Modric of Real Madrid also strongly linked with United.
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