Barcelona: Cesc Fabregas won't be moving to Manchester United

Champions United have already had two offers for the ex-Arsenal playmaker rejected, the latest in the region of £30 million.

New Barca coach Gerardo Martino used his first press conference yesterday to insist they would be wasting their time by lodging a third bid. Martino said the player was staying at the Nou Camp and was part of his plans.

“I’m not going to involve myself in the club’s accounts, but considering we already rejected two offers, I would guess we will reject a third,” said Martino. “He will remain here.”

His words were backed up by vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who said: “Whatever offer United make, however big, we will say no. Cesc Fabregas will stay a Barcelona player.

That United show interest in Cesc Fabregas is normal. He is a truly great player. It doesn’t annoy us. But he is not for sale.”

On the eve of yesterday’s unconvincing 2-2 draw with depleted J-League side Cerezo Osaka, Moyes said confidently that United’s pursuit of Fabregas, above, his No1 transfer target since replacing Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, was “ongoing.”

When told of the Catalans’ defiant stance afterwards, a stony-faced Moyes would only say: “We’ll look at what’s been said and we’ll consider what to do. We will see what our options are.” The need for new blood was apparent again in the heat and humidity of Osaka, conditions Rio Ferdinand said were “possibly the hardest I have ever played in, physically. I lost three to four kilos in fluid, so that tells you how hard it was.”

United needed a disputed, last-ditch goal by Wilfried Zaha to spare them a second successive defeat on the Japan leg of their exhausting world tour.

Shinji Kagawa, back at the ground where he first made his name, scored United’s first equaliser after earlier missing a penalty.

United, with just one win from four, leave for Hong Kong for another friendly against Kitchee FC on Monday, with the pitch again a concern.

Moyes said he was no nearer to knowing how his team would look against Swansea in the opening game of their title defence. He said: “I am still getting to know the players. I’ve several players back home who I’ve not met yet because of international duties.

“So I don’t have it in my head yet, I’ll need to look at my options. We have three games before the season starts.”

He will, at least, be buoyed by the form of some of his younger players, goalscorer Zaha in particular. “I think tonight will help as he’s shown the players he can make things happen,” said Moyes.

Ferdinand, too, was bullish. “The most pleasing part was the young lads who came on,” he said, also acknowledging Jesse Lingard, Adnan Januzaj and Tom Cleverley.

“They made an impact. Getting that late goal was probably more important than anything as it shows people we still have the hunger and desire to keep going.”