Arsenal have instructed Cesc Fabregas to report for pre-season training on Tuesday despite continuing to negotiate with Barcelona over the sale of their captain.

Arsenal’s players are due to return in a staggered manner over three days next week depending upon their personal fitness programmes, with Fabregas in the first group expected back as a result of missing the end of last season with a thigh injury.

Fabregas has spent the past few days on holiday in Catalonia and is hoping a quick agreement can be reached between the clubs to prevent him having to return to London, but Arsenal will not weaken their negotiating position by making life easy.

The 24-year-old is equally reluctant to rock the boat by speaking out publicly and is prepared to play the “long game”, if necessary, by returning to training without complaint.

Arsene Wenger will make one last attempt to persuade Fabregas to stay — particularly if he can secure some big-name signings in the next few days — but the club’s stance has altered significantly since last summer, when after receiving the first bid from Barcelona they issued a statement insisting they were not even prepared to enter into negotiations.

On this occasion, however, Arsenal’s prime concern is obtaining the best price for a player whom they value at the £40 million that they rejected last summer. Barcelona’s opening offer was £27 million.

Wenger warned Friday that an imminent agreement is unlikely, although by revealing that Arsenal will need to strengthen at the end of the month, the suggestion is that Fabregas’s departure is inevitable.