Barcelona chief: Fabregas is a ''special case''

Barcelona chief: Fabregas is a ''special case''

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Barcelona president Joan Laporta has identified his club's pursuit of Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas as a ''special case'' and claims that it is ''no secret'' that the Spanish champions want to sign him.

The captain is a wanted man.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has been unimpressed by the Catalan side's attempts to sign his captain this summer, with reports of a £30m bid surrounding the Spaniard for months.

And Laporta said: ''I apologise if I bothered Mr Wenger, because I respect him very highly and the job he is doing. But he knows perfectly that the case of Cesc Fabregas is special.

''He is a Catalan player from our youth team and it is not a secret that we love this player.''

Fabregas, who missed Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Manchester United because of a hamstring injury, was picked up from the Nou Camp academy for around £500,000 by Wenger in September 2003.

He has made it clear in the past that he would relish a return to his former club, but has also remained faithful to Arsenal and, most importantly, Wenger.