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Cesc Fabregas has been at Barcelona for two seasons. AP Photo/Manu Fernandez

David Moyes hoping for good news on Fabregas bid but Rooney not for sale

The Manchester United manager confirmed the club’s official bid for the former Arsenal midfielder.

EVER THE OPTIMIST, David Moyes says he hopes to have some good news about the possibility of Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas joining Manchester United in the “next day or so”.

Moyes is looking to bring some new players into the squad in his first season in charge at Old Trafford and has been linked with the Spanish international midfielder, while Wayne Rooney’s future remains unresolved. The English Premier League champions are in Sydney as part of their pre-season tour and are taking on the A-League All Stars on Saturday.

But all interest has been on Moyes’ behind-the-scenes transfer manoeuvrings, with the British press reporting the club has lodged a €30m bid for midfielder Fabregas, which has yet to be rejected by Spanish champions Barcelona.

“I’m in contact with the chief executive who has been dealing with it and hopefully I’ll know a bit more in the next day or so,” Moyes told a press conference when asked how the Fabregas negotiations were progressing.

“It’s the middle of the night back home in England so I might have a bit more info in the next day or so about how it is going.”

What about Wayne?

Club chief executive Ed Woodward left the pre-season tour earlier this week to attend what he said was “urgent transfer business”. Moyes, who has been tight-lipped over the Rooney situation this week, gave little away when he said Friday “the club’s position hasn’t changed on Wayne Rooney, there’s no change to that”.

“Besides that… we’re trying very hard to make some additions to the squad and hopefully there will be some good news in the not too distant future,” he added.

Spicing up the Rooney situation is an offer from new Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho for the England international striker for a reported €25m. United has repeatedly said he is not for sale.

With the new English Premier League season fast approaching, former Everton boss Moyes said the enormity of his new job has sunk in since Manchester United have been feted on their pre-season tour in Asia and Austalia.

“The amount of supporters we have in Australia, in Thailand, where we have been so far, it is incredible,” he said. “The enormity of the job sunk in even more yesterday when I was fortunate enough to see an incredible video on Manchester United under Matt Busby, followed by Sir Alex Ferguson.

So if I didn’t know the enormity before I certainly do now after seeing what those two gentlemen did in the job before me. It’s a great job, a fantastic football club, a club that every person in the world knows the name of. I’m very fortunate and privileged that I was given the opportunity to manage and I hope I can come as close as I can to the success of the two gentlemen before me.”

Moyes’s reign at Manchester United began with an embarrassing 1-0 defeat against Thailand’s Singha All-Star XI in Bangkok last Saturday. His team have been training hard this week for their next match against the A-League All Stars.

“I want to see us step up from where we were in Thailand,” Moyes said.

“I thought that in general the fitness was fine in really difficult conditions on the field but overall I’d like to see the play improve as well. We had opportunities to score — I’d like to see that improve.”

© AFP, 2013

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    Mute Stroked Jammer
    Favourite Stroked Jammer
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    Jul 19th 2013, 10:24 AM

    Why would Fabregas go to that graveyard of football?

    Falling Empires Are Rolling

    Shamrock Rovers for life

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    Mute jrbmc
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    Jul 19th 2013, 1:49 PM

    Look ! It’s Dumb and Dumber !! Again
    !!

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    Mute Jason Naughton
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    Jul 19th 2013, 10:10 AM

    Moyes wants to make raids for Fabregas and Bale but resents other clubs bidding for Rooney after he labelled him an also ran. Go back to Preston David!!

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    Mute Paul Lee
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    Jul 19th 2013, 10:21 AM

    Moyes never labelled Rooney an also ran. The quotes used are a snippet of the full quote he used which tell a different story.

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    Mute Joseph McGranaghan
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    Jul 19th 2013, 10:32 AM

    Also he never criticised Chelsea for making the offer, he just affirmed the player was not for sale!

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    Mute pauljohnson
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    Jul 19th 2013, 11:48 AM

    All Man u fans its time to wake up. You are dreaming if you think fabregas is going to that sinking ship. Why would he leave Barcelona were they play attractive football to go to man u play under moyes and play the,worst football imaginable.

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    Mute jrbmc
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    Jul 19th 2013, 2:11 PM

    Yawn…

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    Mute John Flynn
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    Jul 20th 2013, 12:46 AM

    Awful lot of ABU’s on here tonight!!!

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    Mute Matthew Hyland
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    Jul 19th 2013, 10:28 AM

    Buy Fabregas, sell Rooney. That’s acceptable…

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    Mute Derek Cullen
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    Jul 19th 2013, 11:10 AM

    “Moyes’s reign at Manchester United began with an embarrassing 1-0 defeat against Thailand’s Singha All-Star XI in Bangkok last Saturday.” !!!!!!

    It’s a tour friendly. I remember a couple of years ago Real Madrid only beat Shamrock Rovers 1-0 in a pre-season friendly! I don’t see at all how that result was embarrassing!

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    Mute Luke
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    Jul 20th 2013, 10:43 AM

    They won.

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    Mute Darragh Harkin
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    Jul 19th 2013, 10:47 AM

    Slightly sheepish caption for the picture lads… Only Slightly mind

    “Cesc Fabregas has been at BArcelona for two seasons”

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    Mute Patrick McCarry
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    Jul 19th 2013, 11:06 AM

    Nice one Darragh.

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    Mute Josh
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    Jul 21st 2013, 6:07 PM

    Why wouldn’t Rooney leave he’s past his hay day fab has got potential linking up with RVP .. It’s obvious he doesn’t want to be there let him go he does nothing but complains

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    Mute Billy Nomates
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    Jul 20th 2013, 11:33 AM

    Get rid of Rooney quick before no one wants him. 27 years old on £250,000 a week for a bit part player? Coupe get 2 new young European quality strikers for those wages

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    Mute Niall Quinlan
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    Jul 21st 2013, 1:59 PM

    Can’t wait for the season to start, all this transfer mallarkey is a pain in the ‘nads and it isn’t called “silly-season” for nothing. Thank God I like GAA as well otherwise I’d go (*) mental.

    * I realise I am mad.

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