Arsenal REJECT Barca's first formal Fabregas bid
Published 23:01 23/06/11 By Martin Lipton
Arsenal have rejected Barcelona's opening formal £31million bid for Cesc Fabregas.
While Arsene Wenger, Ivan Gazidis and the Emirates board are keen to begin their summer rebuilding programme in the next few days, the club will not be bulldozed into selling Fabregas.
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Barcelona vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu flew in to meet chief executive Gazidis and presented the Nou Camp side's first gambit.
Catalan sources insisted they had not heard an official response from Arsenal but the Gunners are determined not to fold under Barcelona's pressure.
Unless Barca offer at least £45m, Wenger will not agree to let Fabregas follow his heart and return to the club he left eight years ago.
But the European champions are unlikely to take no for an answer with President Sandro Rossell ready to sanction an improved bid they hope will persuade Arsenal to finally agree to let Fabregas leave.
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