United Dealt Major Blow In Fabregas Pusuit

Tito Vilanova has insisted that there is 'no chance' that Cesc Fabregas will be leaving Barcelona this summer despite Manchester United submitting an offer for the midfielder.

After United missed out on acquiring Thiago Alcantara, who made the move to Bayern Munich earlier this week, the club quickly turned their attention to the young midfielder's former Barcelona teammate Fabregas.

The former Arsenal midfielder played in the vast majority of Barcelona's games last season but only completed 90 minutes on 19 occasions and was often asked to play in an unfamiliar forward role. United had hoped to capitalise on any possible discontent with an offer but Vilanova has insisted that no move will take place.

"I am aware that we have received offers from other teams. I talked with him and he told me he wants to stay," he said in a press conference today. "Cesc doesn't contemplate the possibility of going to another club. He knows that the competition here is great. His dream is to succeed here. I'm totally calm."

A deal for Fabregas to return to England and join one of Arsenal's biggest rivals would have appeared unlikely, with the midfielder working hard to convince Arsene Wenger to cut his contract short in 2011 and allow him to return to his former club.

The 26 year old is clearly happy to remain at the Catalan club and will be hoping that he can gain more regular game time in his preferred central midfield role.

Meanwhile, whlie Vilanova insisted that Barcelona had been hoping to keep Thiago Alcantara, with the young midfielder's sale the club will be more likely to fund a deal for another Thiago, in the form of PSG defender Thiago Silva.

Barcelona president Sandro Rossell admitted the club are hoping to land Silva, but are struggling to negotiate with the French outfit.

"Thiago Silva is a player we want - the board as much as the coach. When it comes to him, the price is not an issue," he said, according to Catalan paper Sport.

"We are negotiating with people for whom money is not a factor. And if they're not willing to sit down and talk, we can't do anything.

"It's a matter of the player convincing them to come over here and start negotiating."