Barcelona have revealed that they did everything possible to try to sign Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas this summer but eventually found it impossible to do so because the Gunners refused to negotiate regardless of the bid.

The La Liga giants’ technical director Andoni Zubizarreta explained that a €40 million (£33 million) bid had been made to the Premier League giants for their prized asset but the Gunners rejects the offer outright and refused to even approach the negotiating table. Zubizarreta also revealed that Fabregas tried on his part to convince the Gunners to be open to an approach but also came up empty handed.

“Both the club and the player did as much as possible. Our second offer was €40m. However, from the moment Arsenal said they didn’t want to negotiate, we respected their position,” Zubizarreta explained on the club’s official website.

“We would have liked to have signed him but we weren’t able to negotiate. It wasn’t a disappointment, as it was simply impossible.”

However, Zubizarreta did hint of a possible deal in the future as he insisted that the bridges had been mended with the Premier League giants and that they are looking forward to re-opening pathways to bringing the Spanish playmaker back to the Nou Camp.

“Thanks to the conversations, we have re-established contact with Arsenal though,” Zubizarreta added.

The Fabregas transfer saga was the most drawn out of the summer as Arsenal refused to sell their club talisman and insisted that they intend to continue building the team around the World Cup winner. However, it is still widely expected that Fabregas will only remain at the Emirates for a further season before eventually sealing his dream return to his boyhood club.

Tags: Andoni Zubizarreta, Arsenal, Barcelona, Cesc Fabregas, English Premier League, La Liga, transfer news