Transfer news: David Moyes confirms Manchester United have made a £30m bid for Cesc Fabregas - but Barcelona set to turn it down
Moyes confirms second bid despite Barcelona insisting that the midfielder will not be sold under any circumstances
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Your support makes all the difference.David Moyes has confirmed that Manchester United have made a second improved offer for Cesc Fabregas - however it appears set to be rebuffed by Barcelona.
United confirmed last week that they had made an initial offer for the former Arsenal captain, but Barcelona turned away the bid - believed to be £26m - with vice-president Josep Bartomeu ruling out any sale of Fabregas, who they signed in 2011 after a lengthy pursuit of the Catalan youngster.
But Moyes announced today at a press conference in Yokohama that a second offer - believed to be £30m - had been lodged.
Moyes said: "As I understand it, Ed (Woodward) had a response (to the first offer). We have made a second offer but Ed is dealing with it rather than me."
Yet it appears that Moyes' latest attempt to land his first major signing since replacing Sir Alex Ferguson will fail.
A Barcelona source has been quoted by the BBC as saying: "Fabregas is not for sale. The president has been very clear with Manchester United on this."
Manchester United's executive vice-chairman Woodward returned to the UK earlier than planned last Wednesday to carry out "urgent transfer business", with his chief aim to bring Fabregas to Old Trafford.
The pressure is on new manager Moyes to make his first meaningful signing, with fans growing restless at the lack of new faces at the club having seen only full-back Guillermo Varela join the club from Uruguayan side Penarol.
The Premier League champions may face a frustrating wait for a response though, with Barcelona’s main concern finding a replacement for departed manager Tito Vilanova, who was forced to resign on Friday night due to a relapse in his recovery from throat cancer.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta announced that he hoped to name their next manager early this week, with former star Luis Enrique currently favourite to take over the role despite having taken over Celta Vigo just last month.
Moyes admits that there come a time when the best thing to deal is pull out of the deal and switch targets, but this morning he sounded confident that he hasn't reached that point just yet.
"I think a point does come," said Moyes.
"But when you are interested in good players you want to give it every opportunity to materialise.
"I will hope things will continue to move forward.
"At this moment in time I can only tell you Ed Woodward is working hard to try and make the deals happen. We hope some of them will fall into place shortly."
United have also been linked with moves for Gareth Bale, Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini, but the lack of movement from the Premier League champions has got certain areas of the Old Trafford faithful concerned with the end of the transfer window inching closer every day.
"I can understand that feeling," he said.
"But there have been quite a few changes. Other managers have changed their clubs too and everybody thought this might be the summer when transfers are done later in the month.
"That was always the thought I had when I came into the club.
"You have to remember I only started on July 1, so in truth I have only been in the job three weeks at this present time."
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