Winner: Fabregas celebrates scoring the winner
against Chile with the Spanish national side
Barcelona vice-president Josep
Maria Bartomeu believes the club's £35million acquisition of Cesc
Fabregas was 'a very good deal'.
The 24-year-old completed his protracted return
to his boyhood team last month - eight years after leaving to sign
for the Gunners as a teenager in 2003 - and has made an impressive
start to life back in Catalonia.
He scored a stunning goal in the European Super
Cup against Porto and also netted against Villarreal on his Primera
Division debut, prompting Bartomeu to observe that the World Cup
winner's real valuation is closer to the £52.5m Arsenal initially
demanded.
'The transfer of Cesc was a very good deal for
us,' he said.
'His real price was what Arsenal initially asked
- at least 60m euros.
'The fact that we announced in advance that we
would only spend 45m euros this summer worked to our advantage.
Clubs were already aware of our position.'
Bartomeu also remained hopeful that coach Pep
Guardiola, who has guided Barca to three straight La Liga titles
and two Champions League crowns since taking over in summer 2008,
will commit to the club beyond this season.
'He's very smart and he will say [when he's ready
to talk],' said the vice-president. 'We will give all the tools so
that when we talk it will be very difficult to say no.'
Reports have claimed Barca had reached a
pre-contract agreement with Santos for Brazil teenager Neymar to
sign in two years' time - something the Brazilian club deny - and
Bartomeu was coy on the topic.
'He's a great player and young,' he said. 'There
are European clubs who want him. It is Barcelona's obligation to
follow young talent who will be good.'