Real Madrid to bid for Fabregas

Florentino Perez and Jorge Valdano have had discussions about making a £43 million offer for Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

The Sun reports that Barcelona are considering a £40m bid in the summer, but Los Merengues are ready to prevent the deal from happening by sweetening their offer with £25m-rated striker Gonzalo Higuain.

"The price demanded is £43m and that is what we are basing our calculations on," a Real insider told The Sun.

"This is 'Operation Cesc', which we hope will prove a blow to Barcelona."

La Blaugrana president Joan Laporta has in the past publically stated that he would like to bring Fabregas 'home' to Barcelona.

Real Madrid and Barcelona bid 50M £ for Cesc Fabregas

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas will spark a bidding war between Barcelona and Real Madrid during the January transfer window.

Accrording to The Daily Express, both Spanish giants are prepared to start a bidding war on Fabregas at £50million.

Fabregas, who has stated his desire to fight for Arsenal's cause, has been repeatedly linked with a move back to Spain for the past three seasons.

But the longer Arsenal remain trophyless, the more Fabregas will be linked with a move away from the Emirates.

If he does move, it has been reported that Barcelona, the club where he started his youth career, would be clear favourites. Marca has claimed the club's vice president, Sandro Rosell, has had positive talks with Arsenal's hierarchy.

But Real Madrid have been encouraged by an interview Fabregas gave last summer when he said:

"Naturally my family would understand if I signed for Real Madrid - they love me, they want me to be happy."

Real Madrid sporting director Miguel Pardeza:"Real Madrid are not interested in signing Cesc Fabregas"

Real Madrid are not interested in signing Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal, according to the club's sporting director Miguel Pardeza.

The Spanish giants insist they will not bid for the Arsenal playmaker even if they fail in their quest to land Liverpool's Xabi Alonso.

Real have consistently been linked with a move for Fabregas but it seems former club Barcelona are favourites to snare him if he does leave the Emirates.

"He is a great player, there's no doubt about that. But at this moment he is not an target for Real Madrid. The club are working on other alternatives,'' he said.

Pardeza also confirmed negotiations with Liverpool over Alonso had reached an impasse, but that they still hadn't given up hope of resolving the situation.

"Madrid must not discard an option until it's totally gone. Now there is an insurmountable financial barrier, but it's something that could change. We're looking for alternatives, although there aren't many.''

Madrid have already spent close to £200million on four new signings - Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Raul Albiol - this summer but are still looking to add a couple more players as they seek a return to winning ways after ending last season empty-handed.

Fabregas to Real Madrid

The Mill knows what it means to have loved and lost, how it feels when something happens on the way to heaven and against all odds two hearts are suddenly living separate lives. And not just from studying intently the alphabetised list of its collection of original 7-inch Phil Collins singles - mainly the Mill has learnt all it knows most surely about the mysteries of the heart by wallowing in the pages of the tabloid press.

So, when we read in this morning's Sun that Cesc Fábregas thinks Arsenal are "IMPOTENT" (note: not "important") and that he's finding himself increasingly drawn to irresistible, silicone-enhanced, puts-it-about-all-over-the-shop harlot Real Madrid, the Mill fears this is only going one way. How long before Cesc is talking wearily about Arsène Wenger's "walnut manhood", uploading scurrilities about Emanuel Eboué's lack of recent success as a pop-reggae act on his Twitter feed, and being papped cavorting on a boat somewhere hot rubbing Ambre Solaire into his pendulous, over-sized udders?

Hopefully, quite long. But still, saying things like "of course my family would understand if I signed for Real Madrid because they love me" is hardly likely to discourage a summer of soul-destroying back-and-forths, is it?