Barca sporting director insists the club must ‘respect’ Arsenal

Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta has insisted that the club must show 'respect' towards Arsenal in their ongoing pursuit of Cesc Fabregas.

Speculation has been relentless for almost two years about the 24-year-old's potential move back to the Camp Nou. The World Cup winner is a product of Barca's youth system and the Catalan club are keen to take him back.

However, the fee involved in a possible move has been hotly contested by both sides, with the Gunners refusing to accept anything less than their valuation.

''We need to be respectful of the team Cesc belongs to,'' he said. "We won't comment on the Fabregas negotiations. There will be time for that in the future."

Zubizarreta has already seen a €26 million move for Udinese's Alexis Sanchez completed and added: "Our fans know that we work to have the best team possible."

A few days ago, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola made the club's intentions perfectly clear when he stated: "We're short of just one player and everyone knows which one that is."

According to reports from Radio Marca yesterday, the La Liga side made their final offer for Fabregas, offering an initial €37 million which could rise to €42 million after bonuses.