La Liga - Barca urged to meet with Wenger

Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart has urged incumbent Sandro Rosell to meet with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger if he wants to sign Cesc Fabregas.

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Fabregas has been the subject of a summer-long transfer saga, with departed Barca president Joan Laporta and Rosell both left frustrated by the Gunners' resistance to overtures for the Arsenal captain.

Gaspart believes the only way for the matter to be resolved is for Rosell to travel to North London.

He told Com Radio: "My advice, and that's what I've told him (Rosell), is that this will end by catching the plane to London and sitting down face to face with Wenger.

"Not by telephone, not with intermediaries - this has to be resolved with a meeting in person.

"Rosell must not be scared. If he fails, the whole world will understand but no-one will be able to say that he didn't try until the end.

"This fear that he is going to fail - he shouldn't have it.

"It's very difficult for Arsenal to want to keep a player who doesn't want to stay.

"The English are very English - very hard at the time of negotiating. Moreover, Mr Wenger, as a good Frenchman, knows how to play his cards.

"I have seen him in negotiations and he has ended up selling. You have to meet him face to face to know if he is bluffing."

Fabregas, who spent six years in Barca's youth team before joining Arsenal in 2003, has five years remaining on his contract and the Gunners have already turned down a £30 million bid from the Catalan club.