Manchester United Transfer News: Barca's Fabregas Stance Shouldn't Deter Man Utd

Manchester United has been in pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas in recent days. Although Barca continues to rebuff the Red Devils' advances, and has insisted upon keeping Fabregas, United shouldn't give up quite yet.

According to Sky Sports Football, Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino claimed that there is no chance that Fabregas will be transferred to Old Trafford:

This assertion was backed up by Barcelona vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu, according to David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror, as he said that Fabregas isn't for sale even if Manchester United increases its offer:

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It's logical that we've had offers for Fabregas because he is a quality player, but he is not for sale.

If there was a higher offer would we accept it? No. He's a great player. It doesn't bother us that Manchester United want him. We're proud that a club like that wants one of our players.

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According to McDonnell, United has already made two offers for Fabregas of £26 million and £30 million. Barcelona has balked at both, and it seems as though the Barca brass is dead set against moving Fabregas at this point; however, clubs are rarely forthcoming during transfer season.

Saying that Fabregas is unavailable regardless of the offer is an untruth in reality. While Manchester United would obviously never do it, what if it offered £100 million for Fabregas? With Lionel Messi and Neymar already in place, there is no chance that Barcelona would turn it down.

While it's an extreme example, the point is that pretty much every player is available at a certain price. From United's perspective, money is usually of no object, so it can afford to raise its bid even more in the coming days and weeks.

The Red Devils were easily the best team in the EPL last season, but with the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal improving, Manchester United needs to improve as well.

United has a great bargaining chip in its back pocket in the form of striker Wayne Rooney, so it can nullify much of the financial loss that would result from acquiring Fabregas by moving Rooney elsewhere.

Rooney has proved to be a dynamic goal scorer in the past as he has two 34-goal seasons to his credit, but with Robin van Persie and Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez already in the fold, there may not be room for Rooney. United can afford to improve its midfield, though, and Fabregas would be an ideal fit as he is among the world's best playmakers.

Fabregas can still be a big-time contributor for Blaugrana, but the midfield is awfully crowded right now with the likes of Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta all needing playing time. Add Messi and Neymar to the mix, and it's possible that Fabregas will get lost in the shuffle to some degree.

That likely wouldn't be an issue at Old Trafford.

There's a reason why David Moyes and the Red Devils are putting the full-court press on Barca, and it's because they believe that Fabregas could be the missing piece in terms of winning the UEFA Champions League in addition to the EPL.

If that is truly how the club feels, then it can't abandon its efforts quite yet. At some point, the price becomes ridiculous and unrealistic, but that hasn't happened yet. Until Barcelona reaches that territory, Manchester United must continue to poke and prod in an effort to score Fabregas.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.