Bernabeu side plan move for Emirates Stadium skipper.
CESC FABREGAS is the No 1 target for Real Madrid.
President Florentino Perez will bid £35million to hijack Barcelona’s expected move for the Arsenal skipper.
Cash-strapped Barca are still expected to make another attempt to lure Fabregas to his hometowen club.
But Perez is desperate to get one up on Madrid’s hated rivals following defeat in the Champions League semis. Real have splashed £400million in the last two summers but have only this year’s Copa Del Rey to show for it.
Barcelona have won La Liga for the previous two seasons and look set to retain their title this season, sitting pretty eight points clear of Madrid with four to play.
Boss Jose Mourinho is keen on the Arsenal skipper who is seen as the perfect complement to Xabi Alonso at the heart of Real’s midfield.
Arsenal will reluctantly part with their skipper if a £35m bid comes in, though they will be hoping a bidding war hots up between the two Spanish giants.
SOURCE: The Sun
A move to Barcelona is of course constantly speculated over but it seems that for two main reasons a move to Nou Camp is somewhat unlikely. One, there is seemingly no space for the 24 year old Spanish international in Pep Guardiola’s midfielder and therefore Cesc Fabregas may end up in the unaccustomed role of bench warmer. Two, the Catalan side are reportedly in poor financial health and can therefore not meet the asking price for the talented youngster.
Arsene Wenger will apparently have his hands full this summer trying to appease the top performers in his Gunners squad who have witnessed a sixth season in a row without silverware. There is supposed interest in a number of the North London club’s first team with the likes of Samir Nasri, Robin Van Persie, Gael Clichy and Andrei Arshavin all strongly linked with exits this summer.
Would Fabregas, a former Barcelona youth team player, really consider a move to the Bernabeu? Would such a move effectively rule out ever returning to his former club? Will Arsenal elect to sell their skipper? How would the club’s supporters react to the selling of such a crucial player?