Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain has denied claims from Arsenal that they won't bid for Cesc Fabregas this summer.

Gunners chairman Peter Hill-Wood declared yesterday that they had been assured by Barca that Cesc wasn't on their agenda for the close-season market.

But Begiristain, speaking with A Bola, insisted: "At no time did we say we would not try to hire Cesc Fabregas."

The Barca chief is holidaying in Morocco and was taken aback by Hill-Wood's claims.