Laporta calm over Fabregas transfer

Outgoing Barcelona president Joan Laporta says the club’s move for Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has hit a moment of “tense calm”, but has revealed that Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure is close to sealing a transfer away from the Nou Camp.

Reports in Spain claim Toure is on the verge of sealing a move to Manchester City and Laporta says the negotiations for the midfielder’s sale are advanced.

“The sale of Toure is very advanced,” he said in a press conference yesterday evening.

The deal to bring Fabregas to the Nou Camp, however, is “on stand-by”, according to the 47-year-old.

“The negotiation is on stand-by at the moment, in a tense calm,” he said.

“The sooner everything is unblocked, the better, but it must be understood that we, as the buying club, want to pay the least (amount) possible, and Arsenal, as the selling club, want to charge the highest possible amount of money.”

Having had an initial bid turned down by the Gunners, Laporta hinted that the Catalans will offer more money for the 23-year-old midfielder.

“We will try to adjust to the logic of the market, as always,” he said.

Laporta is set to leave his post at the end of the month and will be succeeded by former Barca vice-president Sandro Rosell, who was voted in by the club’s socios with a huge majority in Sunday’s elections.

And Laporta says he will bring Rosell up to speed with developments concerning Cesc.

“I will speak to him president to president to bring him up to date with some matters, such as transfers and signings,” he said.

“The sale of Toure is very advanced and I will inform him on how the negotiations are going for Cesc Fabregas.”

But the outgoing president has no doubt that a deal to bring Cesc to the Nou Camp, where he started his career as a youth player, will suit all parties at the Catalan club.

“The player wants to come, (coach) Pep Guardiola and (sporting director) Txiki Begiristain have shown me their wish for the operation to go ahead and I presume Rosell will have that same will,” he said.