OSAKA (JAPAN): Manchester United have not given up their pursuit of Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas and talks to bring the Spain midfielder to Old Trafford are “ongoing”, coach David Moyes said on Thursday.
Moyes confirmed this week that the club had made a second bid for the 26-year-old though Fabregas’s Barca team mate Gerard Pique told a British newspaper that United were wasting their time chasing the playmaker.
Negotiations to sign the Spaniard “are ongoing”, Moyes, who replaced the long-serving Alex Ferguson at the end of last season, told reporters in Osaka ahead of the club’s friendly with J-League club Cerezo Osaka on Friday.
Moyes also said the recovery of Wayne Rooney, who left the Asia-Pacific tour early with a hamstring injury, fuelling intense speculation that he was on his way out, was on track.
“Wayne’s running, probably at the level where we thought he would be just now, and he’ll pick up his work again,” Moyes said.
The English champions have lost two matches and won one so far on their tour with the latest defeat coming on Tuesday when a youthful side lost 2-3 to Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos.
Former Everton manager Moyes said he would try to rotate his players to spare them from the intense heat and humidity.
“It’s not as important as winning the first game of the Premier League season but you want to win as often as you can and we’ll try and do so,” he added.
“We’re not used to training or playing in these conditions but I hope it will benefit us when we go back to England from playing in such warm conditions.
“We’re meaning to use all our players tomorrow night to make sure everybody doesn’t have to lose so much weight and fluid. I’m sure it will be a very hot evening.” (Reuters)