Barcelona are preparing a new offer for Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas. The Times says Barcelona plan to antagonise Arsenal further with a second bid to sign Fabregas after having an opening offer of £29 million rejected yesterday.

Barca have signed David Villa from Valencia for £34.2 million and are determined to secure the "homecoming" of Fàbregas, 23, who left their academy as a 16-year-old to join Arsenal.

There is disquiet among the Arsenal hierarchy about Barcelona's public and private pursuit of their midfield player, whose father, Francesc, said that the Catalan club had asked his son "not to listen to anyone else that is not Barça".

There are no plans to report Barcelona to Fifa, world football's governing body, but Arsenal, while sensitive to their captain's desire to return to his home-town club, remain fiercely opposed to selling.