Arsenal Transfer News: What Should We Make of Latest Cesc Fabregas Gossip?

Arsenal's battle to keep Cesc Fabregas has raged on through this summer, as Barcelona have ramped their bid to bring the prodigal prodigy back to the Nou Camp has reached a fever pitch. 

The Gunners have rebuffed a pair of offers from the Catalan giants, refusing to wheel and deal for less than their £40 million price tag for the 24-year-old dynamo. The two sides have taken turns firing nonsensical barbs back and forth at one another over the talented midfielder, but little real progress has been made at the bargaining table. 

But in the last few days, there have been some intriguing developments from both sides of the aisle, as the Gunners and the Spaniards have kicked the intensity up a notch or two. Given all of the conflicting reports coming from both sides, what should we make of all the scuttlebutt?

It began with a report from The Independent, which stated that Barcelona were finally willing to make a true £35 million offer for the Spanish star's services, bringing the Catalan juggernauts into the range where the Gunners have reportedly been willing to negotiate, based on previous statements. 

From there, Barca manager Pep Guardiola told reporters that he was in no hurry to get a deal done, and that after more than a month of stonewalling the Spanish club's bid, the Gunners were finally ready to sit down and negotiate a deal with Barcelona, according to the Daily Telegraph.

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This year Arsenal has agreed to negotiate and we are working on it," Guardiola said. "Barcelona has made an offer, Arsenal another and we have time until Aug 31 and we'll try to reach an agreement.

"There is a sum of money in the strong box set aside for this signing but if it doesn't work out it will be kept in the box for something else. We will fight to the end to try to get Cesc because we believe he will improve the team and the squad."

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From that talk, a move seems imminent, doesn't it? Not so fast; the Gunners weren't done quite yet with their push to keep their captain in the fold. 

According to a report from Mirror Football, the Gunners are preparing to fire a shiny new contract extension in Fabregas' direction, hoping that by extending his deal by another two seasons and giving their captain a substantial pay raise, they can convince him to spurn his boyhood club's advances. 

If that's not enough to convince you that Arsenal are on the offensive with regards to Fabregas, perhaps chairman Peter Hill-Wood's comments about Barca's resolve in getting the talented 24-year-old will change your mind. He told reporters that he wasn't convinced the Catalan club really wanted to deal for Fabregas, given their lackluster bids thus far, according to a Daily Star report. 

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He said: “I am not sure how keen they are. There are still stories in the (Spanish) press, but they don’t talk to us."

“They’ve made one offer, which works out at around £26 million, but that was ages ago.

“But at the moment our situation is very straight-forward: we don’t want to lose him. Obviously if they come up with an offer which was a very good offer we would have to think about it. We have told them a number of times that what they are proposing is unacceptable and yet they haven’t moved on it.

“I don’t approve of what they are doing, but unfortunately it seems the way of the world right now.”

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Confused yet? 

What in the world should we make of all of this? Are the Gunners near the point of selling Fabregas, or are they still trying to convince him to stick around? 

After all, their sudden willingness to bargain with Barcelona indicates that they're finally sick of the pressure to sell their star midfielder, and are ready to figure out the most lucrative deal possible for his services. But their sudden contract offer and Hill-Wood's sudden attack on the Spanish club's desire to land the 24-year-old playmaker tell a very, very different story. 

These statements tell us that while Arsenal may be willing to negotiate a deal at a discounted rate for Fabregas' services, the Spanish giants don't seem too keen on the idea of actually bidding for his services.

If Arsenal have received just the one bid for Fabregas' services, it changes the negotiations considerably. Suddenly, the Spanish club have been doing a whole lot of preening and posturing in the media with little clout to back it up. 

We've known for months what it would take to get Fabregas: a £35 to £40 million bid. If Barca still haven't bid more than £26 million for the talented midfielder, it's no wonder that they haven't succeeded in their efforts to get him. 

Maybe the Catalans were simply biding their time in bidding until they had the necessary funds to hit the £35 million mark, or perhaps Hill-Wood is bluffing about receiving just one bid. 

But, assuming that the Arsenal chairman's statements are truthful (and why would he lie about the bids they've received?), Barca aren't nearly as close to a deal as they'd like fans to think they are. They've simply been posturing for the media, keeping up appearances while leaving a low bid on the table with no increase. 

I've said all along that until I see Fabregas at the Nou Camp next season, I'm not inclined to believe any reports that a deal is done, almost done, imminent or being negotiated on. The Gunners have set their terms, and until Barcelona actually reach the levels where the Gunners are willing to negotiate, we won't see this deal get done, plain and simple. 

In the end, I don't see this getting done. Barca continue to claim they're willing to wait Wenger and the Gunners out, and Wenger seems content to let them do that until they hit the bid he wants. Given Barca's apparent unwillingness to boost their offer (based on Hill-Wood's sentiments) I just don't see a deal happening. Maybe, if they submit a real £35 million bid, that will change, but as things stand now, don't expect to see Cesc Fabregas back at the Nou Camp next season.