Football Transfer News: Barcelona Weigh Zlatan Ibrahimovic And Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas
Officials from the Spanish Champions Barcelona have confirmed that the club has 50 Million Euros (£41.7 Million) available to spend on transfers. Having already completed the signing of Spanish striker David Villa from Valencia for a reported 40 Million euros, the club still have 50 Million more to spend on new players, since they have made up the money spent on Villa through the sales of Yaya Toure and Dmytro Chygrynskiy to Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk respectively.
Barcelona are currently involved in one of the longest drawn out transfer sagas of the summer involving another player from Spain's World Cup winning side, Cesc Fabregas. The Arsenal Captain was a Barcelona academy product but was snapped up by Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger. After coming to prominence under Wenger's guidance, Barcelona have repeatedly made public their desire to bring him back to the club where he started playing his football.
A bid of 35 Million Euros (£29 Million) has already been rejected by Arsenal, who maintain that their Captain is not for sale at any price. However, anyone who has observed transfer dealings will know that every player has a price, and it appears that Barcelona have the money available to lure Fabregas to Spain, with the Spanish International already confirming that he will definitely return to Barcelona and that it was only a matter of when that happens, not if.
A possible increase in the funds available to Barcelona for transfers could happen if they manage to get rid of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has been unsettled in his first year at the Nou Camp since moving from Italian Champions Inter Milan. The Swede's agent has accused the Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola of needing mental treatment if he wants to get rid of his client, but after acquiring David Villa from Valencia, Ibrahimovic appears to be surplus to requirements, since Lionel Messi and David Villa are almost guaranteed to start matches in the coming season.
If Zlatan Ibrahimovic does leave, Barcelona may have to go out and purchase a striker as back-up for David Villa, Pedro and Bojan, because the French International Thierry Henry has left for the MLS club, New York Red Bulls. A name that has been mentioned many times as a potential replacement is Fernando Torres, but due to his poor injury record, his reluctance to sit on the bench, and a high asking price by Liverpool, it appears unlikely that the Spaniard will be joining Barcelona, atleast this year.
Barcelona already possess one of the strongest attacks in the world and a very capable defence, including the recently crowned world champions, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique, with Rafael Marquez as back-up. If the Mexican Captain departs though, as has been mentioned in the press of late, then the Catalans will have to look for a capable replacement at the back since Puyol is getting to a stage in his career where he can't continue to play every single game, and a strong defence is as important as a strong attack.
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