Barcelona have reportedly been told they can finally sign Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, if they increase their offer to £35million.Barca this week tabled a new bid for the 24-year-old, who will miss Arsenal's pre-season tour of the Far East next week through injury, but remain some distance away from Arsenal's valuation.
The Daily Mirror this week reported that the Catalans believe their latest offer is worth £37m as it includes teenagers Hector Bellerin and Jon Toral.
Arsenal signed the 16-year-old's for £350,000 each, but Barca value them at a combined £7m and believe they are owed that amount by the Gunners.
That offer was dismissed by Arsenal, but according to the Daily Mail, the Spanish champions have been told they can sign the Spain international providing they make a £35m cash bid.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Friday insisted he did not want to sell his skipper, telling the club's official website: "Our position is always the same, we want to keep Cesc and I will fight as hard as I can to keep him."
But privately, Wenger knows that Fabregas wants to return to his boyhood club and has already started the search for his replacement.
Barcelona earlier this week said they were prepared to wait until August if needed to finally sign the player they have been chasing for the past three years, with the club's vice-president Josep Bartomeu saying: "The experience of the last few years and of last season shows us that we have right up until the last minute before the season starts [to sign players].
"We made signings very late last season. We have the best team in the world so we can afford to be patient. There is no rush, we have until the last moment."
But if Saturday's report is accurate, the Champions League winners will be able to land their top transfer target before then if they are ready to increase their bid to the amount they have already stated would be the maximum figure they are prepared to pay for the Spaniard.
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