Behind the daily parade of Barca players who talk about Cesc Fabregas return to Barca in the emotional terms of a homecoming or a Homeric saga - is the fact that Barca might not be able to afford him.
They took out a bank loan to cover player and employee wages and they have now set themselves a transfer limit of 50 million euros. Still healthy and far more than about 95% of the clubs - including Arsenal.
But with the Gunners digging their heels and rejecting a 35 million euro bid, the margin for landing him are getting slim. Sandro Rosell, the new Barca president has warned that the club will need to put into place "austerity measures". Other indications are shifting priorities- Pep Guardiola maybe targeting Juan Mata of Valencia. Even Sergio Busquets seems to accept that landing Fabregas might be very difficult.
E, absolutely correct. It is tapping up - Barca never approached Arsenal for a good month or so but had already started talking up through the media how Fabregas wanted a transfer. It just made the Gunners mad- they have been rejecting Barca since.
How is this not considered tapping up? If Chelsea or even Arsenal were to do some of the things Barca has done there would certainly be more fallout.
The Barcelona favoritism within Fifa/UEFA/press is very disappointing. It runs deep within the Spanish national team too.