Barcelona Sign Alexis Sanchez

Barcelona have confirmed the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Udinese, the Catalan giants had been in pursuit of the Chilean for a while and have finally got their man after weeks of negiotations.

Sanchez has agreed personal terms and signed a five-year contract, Barcelona will pay an €26million with an additional €11.5million in add-ons.

Barcelona will officially unveil the player at the Nou Camp this weekend.
Could Barcelona now be set to up their chase for Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas now they have signed Sanchez?

Barca: Arsenal Fabregas Demands To High

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has claimed the club will not pay over the odds for Cesc Fabregas; the Nou Camp giants had hoped to bring the Spaniard back to Barcelona but will not pay an extortionate fee for the midfielder.

Fabregas has again been linked with a return to his boyhood club this summer after Arsenal refused to sell the midfielder to Barca 12 months ago, Arsenal Chairman Peter Hill-Wood revealed over the weekend that the Catalan giants had been in contact regarding Cesc.

"He (Cesc) is doing everything he can to come (here)," Rosell told Catalan station TV3 on Monday night.
"Guardiola knows the values of players and Cesc's is less than €40million. Barcelona will offer less and if they (Arsenal) don't accept, then he won't come. Pep knows the club is not well-off in terms of money."

Elsewhere Barca were expected to be closing in of the signing of highly rated forward Alexis Sanchez, but Rosell said; "There is nothing closed with Alexis.”

It was also revealed that Eric Abidal has rejected a new deal at Barcelona and is expected to leave the Champions League winners, Rosell also claimed that his relationship with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez were "on standby" after their failure to act against doping allegations aimed at Barca last season by radio station Cadena COPE.

"I haven't spoken to Florentino Perez since the last game (against Madrid)," he said.

"My relationship with him is on standby because there are wounds that are still not closed and that need to scar."

Pep Commits To Barcelona

Pep Guardiola has insisted that he intends to honour his contract at Barcelona, after watching his side take Manchester United apart in yesterday's 3-1 victory in the Champions League final.

The Spaniard feels that his side are untouchable after watching his young side show the world how the game should be played.

It was suggested that Pep could leave the Catalans this summer after Johan Cryuff hinted that Guardiola had been worn down by the psychological strain of managing the Catalan giants, but last night Guardiola said;

"I have one year of the contract, yes."

The Barcelona boss believed his side had put in one of their best performances to lift the trophy for the second time in three years.

"It is one of the best performances because sometimes you make for performances in important games but not important games like this one," he said.

Guardiola also added; "So we are so happy to win, of course, but we are so, so happy to show to the world our way to play, to keep the ball, to try to attack in front of absolutely one of the best teams of the world," he said.

FOOTBALL: Cesc Fabregas commits to Arsenal

Cesc Fabregas has today confirmed that he will be staying at Arsenal this season, after much speculation surrounding Cesc's future and Arsenal have already rejected two offers from Barcelona for their captain. The Catalans launched a last-ditch bid of forty two million pounds.

Manager Arsene Wenger had been desperate in recent days for Fabregas to commit himself to Arsenal before the season and Cesc has today issued a statement saying,

"Firstly I would like to apologise to all the Arsenal fans for not speaking sooner about my future but I have not known what I was going to do until this moment.

"I cannot deny that joining a club like Barcelona was not an attractive move for me.

"This was the club where I learnt my football, it is my home town where my friends and family are and a club where I have always dreamed of playing.

"There are not many players in the world who would not want to play for Barcelona.

"I have had many conversations with Arsene Wenger both in person and over the phone over the last few months and although the content of those conversations will remain private, the conclusion is that Barcelona have had two formal offers rejected by Arsenal.

"I am a professional and I fully understand that it is Arsenal's prerogative not to sell me.

"I owe a lot to the club, manager and the fans and I will respect their decision and will now concentrate on the new season ahead with Arsenal.

"I can assure all the fans that now the negotiations have ended I will be 100 per cent focused on playing for Arsenal.

"I am an Arsenal player and as soon as I step out on to the pitch, that is the only club I will be thinking about.

"I am looking forward to the start of the season and putting this speculation behind me."