Manchester United Transfer News: Cesc Fabregas Rejection Is Bad Sign for Club

Things have not gone well for Manchester United this offseason, and it is possible things are going to get worse in a hurry.

Ben Smith of BBC Sport reported that the club made a £25 million bid for Cesc Fabregas. In less than a day, the offer was rejected and it was made clear that the world-class midfielder had no interest in making a move.

According to Jamie Sanderson of Metro Sport, Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova had this to say about the bid:

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It is good to receive offers for Cesc Fabregas—it means he is playing well. But I’ve spoken to Cesc and he wants to stay. He wants to win titles with Barca.

"

That last sentence has to sting for United fans. He is not only staying with his current club due to a comfort level, he believes it is a better place to win trophies.

While Barcelona are clearly one of the top teams in Europe, Manchester United also have this distinction and should be favored to once again win the English Premier League next season. However, new manager David Moyes is having a hard time bringing the top players to Old Trafford.

One of the most notable moves of the offseason dealt with young midfielder Thiago Alcantara, who was looking for a transfer out of Barca after not receiving much playing time last season.

After appearing as though the 22-year-old player was set to join Manchester United, he quickly changed his mind and instead will transfer to Champions League winners Bayern Munich, according to BBC Sport.

The club came close to acquiring one the best young players in the sport, but instead he will go to another place where he will struggle to get onto the pitch behind a number of excellent midfielders.

United also failed to get another highly touted young target in Kevin Strootman, who is headed to Roma, according to Tancredi Palmeri of CNN Italy:

As ESPN's Taylor Twellman notes, this is certainly a change of pace from earlier transfer seasons:

For years, the historic club has been able to simply buy virtually any player they wanted. If there was a position of need, management would find one of the top options available and bring him onto the roster.

Last season, Arsenal transfer Robin van Persie helped transform the offense and was a major reason the squad was able to win the EPL. The club was hoping a few major transfers would take it to the next level as a legitimate contender in Champions League.

Unfortunately, the players simply are not coming in.

According to Sky Sports, Moyes was hopeful recently when discussing the transfer season, saying:

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There's no budget here, you go get who you want to get, just go and do it. We are looking at the best players. I do think it's important that we show people we are carrying on the traditions and trying to take the club forward.

"

The fact that there are no budget restraints makes this scenario seem even worse. The club has identified the players that it wants and have stated that they are willing to pay top dollar for all of them, but that is still apparently not enough.

Simon Stone of the Daily Mail reports that Moyes has been given the go-ahead to sign a huge target like Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, either one of which would instantly make the squad one of the best in the world.

Based on what we have seen this offseason, fans should not get their hopes up for a potential transfer. Instead, the squad would be fortunate if it could get a player with the caliber of Marouane Fellaini. Of course, this is not exactly the ideal scenario for fans.

A big part of success as a manager is not only being a good tactical coach, but also getting the best possible players on the pitch. Sir Alex Ferguson was able to do that, so far Moyes is falling short.

It is unknown if the new boss is the reason for the transfer struggles, although it is clear he is not helping. Either way, he better make sure he turns this problem around before United fall from the top of the EPL table.

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