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Barca VP: We got Fabregas cheap

Comment: 0 September 5th, 2011 by: admin

FC Barcelona vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu recently stated that newly-reacquired midfielder Cesc Fabregas is worth more than the £35 million deal the club had acquired him for.

According to Bartomeu, Fabregas’ explosive style of play actually prices him at about double the amount Barcelona paid for him, thereby making the deal to acquire him from Arsenal a bargain.

‘After seeing the work he’s done since his arrival it is true that Cesc meets the €60 million valuation Arsenal initially demanded.’

Reports indicate that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger initially wanted €60 million for the midfielder. Afterwards, however, Wenger agreed to sell Fabregas for a ‘reduced price’, in order to grant him his request to be allowed to head back to his home club.

‘The transfer of Cesc was a very good deal for us,’ he said.

‘The kid is demonstrating a high level and quality in three weeks of training. The transfer is very good. In a market that is so open Cesc is worth a lot of money. It was complicated to close the deal. The negotiations were very hard.’

Bartomeu added that despite the midfielder’s initial valuation, Fabregas’ apparently intense wish to move to Barcelona altered his actual value.

‘The price on the open market wouldn’t have been €29 million but he lowered his price by saying that he really wanted to go to Barcelona,’ he said.

‘His real price was what Arsenal initially asked – at least €60 million,’ Bartomeu continued. ‘The fact that we announced in advance that we would only spend €45 million this summer worked to our advantage. Clubs were already aware of our position.’

Wenger previously stated that they could have gotten a larger amount for Fabregas had he been put up on auction.

‘If he was on the market to any club we would have gotten more money but we did want to get a decent fee,’ he said. ‘That’s what I’m paid for. You cannot say because you want to get the deal done as quickly as possible: “Just take him and give us what you want.” You have to fight for your rights.’
‘If Cesc is for sale and you can make an auction between Real Madrid, Chelsea, Man City, you will certainly get more money,’ said Wenger. ‘But he just wanted to go to Barcelona.’

Fabregas began his boyhood football days as a member of the Barcelona academy. He then departed for England and joined Arsenal in 2003 at the age of 16, where he eventually reached captain status before his recent return to Barca.

Since returning to Barcelona, Fabregas has scored as a substitute in the club’s Super Cup win against Porto. Afterwards he converted as a starter in the Gunners’ 5-0 La Liga victory over Villareal.

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