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Pep Guardiola understands Arsenal's reluctance to sell Cesc Fabregas but insists Barcelona are determined to get their man
Barca manager admits any potential deal rests with Andoni Zubizarreta...
| Bet: | Returns: | AC Milan £19.50 | Draw £32.50 | Arsenal £36.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | AC Milan £20.50 | Draw £34.00 | Arsenal £36.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | AC Milan £20.00 | Draw £32.00 | Arsenal £35.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | AC Milan £19.50 | Draw £34.00 | Arsenal £40.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | AC Milan £19.90 | Draw £32.50 | Arsenal £34.50 |
|
19 Jul 2010 13:00:00
By Zack Wilson
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has not given up on buying Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal this summer and insists, despite understanding the Gunners' reluctance to sell, the Catalans are determined to land the midfielder.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has called for the Catalan giants to stop discussing the potential switch in the media, but it seems that the matter is still far from dead as far as the Spanish champions are concerned.
"I totally understand that Arsenal are reluctant to let go of a player like Cesc Fabregas. He's a great player and we'd love to see him ply his trade at Barcelona next term," Guardiola was quoted as saying by AS.
"However, it's up to technical director Andoni Zubizarreta to reach an agreement with Arsenal. Like president Sandro Rosell said before, signing Cesc won't be cheap, but we're determined to lure him to Barcelona."
Meanwhile, Guardiola also confirmed that he himself is perfectly happy at Camp Nou, despite only having signed a one-year extension to his current contract recently.
"I'm very happy to continue for one more year," he told a press conference on Monday.
"I want to keep on doing my job well and make people proud of us. I feel more comfortable with one-year contracts.
"I am grateful to the confidence shown in me by the new board in offering me a six-year contract, but I prefer working with short contracts, it's something personal.
"I need to feel that things are working and that what I am doing is right, but if everything is going well and I feel strong, I will carry on next year.
"I don't see any change, but if after this first year the feedback with the players, the feedback is not good or the results aren't good, I won't stay on."
Guardiola also spoke about Barcelona's other summer transfer activity, hinting that the club's financial situation was having a major effect on the business being done. He pointed to the sale of defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy — sold back to Shakhtar Donetsk at a loss of £10m just a year after his signing — as a case in point.
"He is 22 years old and is a long-term project," Guardiola noted.
"It's as if they were to tell me that we needed to sell Iniesta, which I would refuse completely. He is a great player, but the club needed liquidity and I am the coach, not the president."
With Sevilla full-back Adriano drafted in as a cheaper alternative ("a player who will serve us well", Guardiola said) the manager is looking forward to duelling with Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid next term.
"Manuel Pellegrini's Madrid deserved to win La Liga, but the outcome was determined by a few details," Guardiola noted.
"We need to believe we are small to return again as great. They will continue to be competitive and we begin the season on equal terms. At point zero, we cannot beat them, but for now we will try to win in terms of enthusiasm."
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has called for the Catalan giants to stop discussing the potential switch in the media, but it seems that the matter is still far from dead as far as the Spanish champions are concerned.
"I totally understand that Arsenal are reluctant to let go of a player like Cesc Fabregas. He's a great player and we'd love to see him ply his trade at Barcelona next term," Guardiola was quoted as saying by AS.
"However, it's up to technical director Andoni Zubizarreta to reach an agreement with Arsenal. Like president Sandro Rosell said before, signing Cesc won't be cheap, but we're determined to lure him to Barcelona."
Meanwhile, Guardiola also confirmed that he himself is perfectly happy at Camp Nou, despite only having signed a one-year extension to his current contract recently.
"I'm very happy to continue for one more year," he told a press conference on Monday.
"I want to keep on doing my job well and make people proud of us. I feel more comfortable with one-year contracts.
"I am grateful to the confidence shown in me by the new board in offering me a six-year contract, but I prefer working with short contracts, it's something personal.
"I need to feel that things are working and that what I am doing is right, but if everything is going well and I feel strong, I will carry on next year.
"I don't see any change, but if after this first year the feedback with the players, the feedback is not good or the results aren't good, I won't stay on."
Guardiola also spoke about Barcelona's other summer transfer activity, hinting that the club's financial situation was having a major effect on the business being done. He pointed to the sale of defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy — sold back to Shakhtar Donetsk at a loss of £10m just a year after his signing — as a case in point.
"He is 22 years old and is a long-term project," Guardiola noted.
"It's as if they were to tell me that we needed to sell Iniesta, which I would refuse completely. He is a great player, but the club needed liquidity and I am the coach, not the president."
With Sevilla full-back Adriano drafted in as a cheaper alternative ("a player who will serve us well", Guardiola said) the manager is looking forward to duelling with Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid next term.
"Manuel Pellegrini's Madrid deserved to win La Liga, but the outcome was determined by a few details," Guardiola noted.
"We need to believe we are small to return again as great. They will continue to be competitive and we begin the season on equal terms. At point zero, we cannot beat them, but for now we will try to win in terms of enthusiasm."
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