Arsenal have revealed that Barcelona blamed the Spanish press for spreading stories about them wanting to sign Cesc Fabregas.

Boss Arsene Wenger revealed last week how the Gunners sent Barca a letter warning the Spanish giants to approach them officially if they are interested in any of their players.

"We wrote to them to ask them that, please, if they want to buy one of our players, they should go through the normal channels," confirmed Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood to the Daily Star.

"That is the way we like to go about our business.

"They said they fully understood and that it wasn't them, it was the Spanish press and blah, blah. And so we got no further forward."

Hill-Wood revealed the correspondence was handled by Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis.

The Nou Camp outfit are reportedly prepared to pay £40m for the Gunners skipper, 22, who is set to make his comeback from a hamstring injury at Bolton on Sunday.

Hill-Wood added: "I am not particularly concerned because I think Cesc is a very sensible young man who has been with us for a long time and has a long contract with us.

"He loves living here and playing for Arsene and I don't think he'd be tempted."