United employee: "We still believe Fabregas can happen"

Manchester United still believe that Cesc Fabregas can join Manchester United despite new Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino stating that the player is not for sale, according to journalist Miguel Delaney, who has proven himself to be reliable on United matters before.

In a piece for Eircom Sports (which is excellent and you should read) Delaney says that a high-ranking Old Trafford source stated that Manchester United can still complete a transfer for Cesc Fabregas. Delaney quotes the source as stating after Martino's comments that "I know it doesn't look good but we still believe it can happen."

If you look at the actual quoted from Martino, they're not as concrete as some outlets have reported. Martino openly states that it is not up to him and that it is a "guess" that a further bid for Fabregas will be turned down.

Obviously, Martino was never likely to suggest that Fabregas could leave. Managers and directors never say players are for sale for obvious reasons, and Fabregas is no different. The deal may be dragging on, but signings of this magnitude often do - recall how long it was between registering our initial interest for Robin van Persie and actually getting the deal done. While we're not any closer today, we're certainly not any further away either.

More from The Busby Babe:

• United in fresh Gundogan link - a better bet than Fabregas?
• What we've learned from United's pre-season so far
• Cerezo Osaka vs. Manchester United: Final score 2-2, late Zaha goal spares United's blushes
• Cerezo Osaka vs. Manchester United: Half-time score 1-0, Poor defending means United trail
• A round table discussion of Manchester United's French midfield transfer target