I won’t give up on Cesc, says Moyes
MANCHESTER UNITED’S relentless pursuit of Cesc Fabregas will continue i nto next week, despite Barcelona’s insistence that the midfielder is not for sale.
As Sportsmail revealed yesterday, Fabregas is keen on a move to Old Trafford and wants to be part of David Moyes’ Barclays Premier League squad by the time the summer transfer window closes on September 2.
New Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino yesterday reiterated his club’s recent assertions that Fabregas will not be sold. The new coach at the Nou Camp said: ‘Man United want Cesc? If the club rejected two offers, I will reject it a third time. Cesc will be here.’
Told about Martino’s comments minutes after United’s 2-2 draw with Cerezo Osaka here yesterday, United manager Moyes said: ‘We will look at what’s been said and we will consider what to do. We will consider our options.’ However, it is understood that United, who have had bids of £25million and £31m turned down, have no intention of giving up on the transfer.
Fabregas is United’s main target and the Barclays Premier League champions are aware that he fancies a crack at the title with them.
The next seven days will make or break the deal for United, who know that Barcelona do
not want to lose face by saying Fabregas can leave. This means the 26-year- old Spain midfielder may have to request a transfer. United do not know if he is prepared to do so.
They travel to Hong Kong today for their final tour game, still optimistic that they can pull off the transfer coup of the summer. But some fans at home are growing concerned about the
lack of transfer activity, given that the start of the Premier League season is only four weeks away.
That sense of unease has not been helped by some modest pre- season results. Only Wilfried Zaha’s injury-time equaliser against Cerezo Osaka saved United from a third defeat in four games yesterday. But Moyes was happy with the performance on a night when heat and humidity were so high defender Rio Ferdinand revealed he lost more than 8lb during the game.
Moyes said: ‘I am very happy, actually. I thought we played well. I thought it was our best performance since we have been on tour.’
United fell behind after a mistake from Chris Smalling in the first half and equalised early in the second period when local hero Shinji Kagawa atoned for a missed penalty by scoring from a Ryan Giggs cross.
Moyes’s team subsequently went 2-1 down before Zaha sidefooted the equaliser.
‘Zaha has done well,’ said Moyes. ‘He has played well in the games. He has been quiet off the pitch, as he is still getting to know everybody. But he has had an impact in games and we are trying to bring him along nicely.
‘This will help him as he showed the players he can makes things happen. He has come up with an important goal in the last minute.’
Zaha has been one of the more impressive players on this United tour but was clearly relieved to score. ‘I have had so many chances during the previous games that I am just happy I managed to get a goal,’ he said. ‘I have dreamed about that. I just wanted to score for Manchester United. I finally did it here, so I am happy.
‘It was a good workout. They were much better than I thought they would be. It was such hard work running around and the weather doesn’t help, either. I enjoyed it though.’
It remains possible that Moyes may send Zaha out on loan this season, possibly back to the Championship where he was playing with Crystal Palace last time around.
But the young winger clearly wants to be part of the first-team picture at Old Trafford and added: ‘Playing alongside these types of players is bound to help me. I just keep my head down and play.
‘I was awestruck when I first came. But just being around them makes me know they are down-to-earth players. They are just like me, really. It is nice being around them. My own target is to be able to get minutes during the season.
‘For my first season in Manchester, I don’t want to go out on loan or anything. I just want to play when I get the chance. Leaving Palace was the gamble I had to take. I am prepared to take that gamble.
‘I enjoyed my time at Palace but I am at Manchester United now. There are bigger players than me here, so getting minutes will do me just fine.’
Moyes revealed yesterday that Kagawa will stay in Japan and work on his fitness while the rest of the United squad play Kinchee on Monday night.