Barcelona losing fight for Fabregas

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola admits the Catalan club are losing their battle to sign Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.

The Spanish champions have been pursuing the Spain midfielder all summer and had a bid of €35million turned down by the Gunners before the World Cup.

New president Sandro Rosell had hoped to wrap up a deal for the 23-year-old with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in South Africa, but was left frustrated and Guardiola believes there is nothing more Barca can do because the north London club seem unwilling to do business.

'We want him to come, but if Arsenal don't want to negotiate, he won't come,' Guardiola said today.

'I don't know the status of the negotiations. But I believe he is wanted at Arsenal and at other clubs like (Real) Madrid as well - he's a great player.'

The Barca coach also accepts that, if Arsenal do sell, they are likely to hold out for a big fee for their prized asset.

'I think bringing in Cesc will cost a lot,' he said.

Meanwhile, Guardiola paid tribute to Fabregas' former Arsenal team-mate, Thierry Henry, who left the Nou Camp to join the New York Red Bulls last week.

'Barca are grateful to all the players who have been at the club and even more to a player that has given us so much,' Guardiola said.

'Whatever happens, I will have good memories of him and I hope things go well for him in New York.'

Henry is one of several players to have left the club this summer, with midfielder Yaya Toure and defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy also moving on.

Chygrynskiy returned to Shakhtar Donetsk following a sole season at the Nou Camp and, although the coach was reluctant to let the Ukraine centre-back go, he admits the sale was necessary to balance the books.

'My opinion counts, but the needs of the club go above that and that's why he was sold,' said Guardiola. 'I would like to have kept him."

Toure joined Manchester City in a big-money deal. Guardiola regrets the Ivorian's departure, claiming he did everything in his power to keep the player at Barca.

'It's a big blow for us,' he said. 'I did everything possible to get him to stay and he's a popular player in the dressing room, but he wanted to leave and there's not much I could do.

'I am grateful for everything he gave Barca and I hope he finds a (regular) place (at City) that I was unable to give him.'