BARCELONA (REUTERS) - Barcelona's new coach Gerardo Martino has made it clear he is counting on Cesc Fabregas for next season and does not want the Spain midfielder to accept an offer from Manchester United.

United manager David Moyes said on Thursday the English champions had not given up their pursuit of Fabregas, who returned to his boyhood club in 2011 after eight seasons with United's Premier League rivals Arsenal.

"Obviously I am not going to get involved in the club's economic affairs but they have already rejected two offers so I will add a third," Martino said at his first news conference since he was appointed to succeed Tito Vilanova on Tuesday.

"We are going to keep him here," added the Argentine, a former coach of Paraguay and most recently Newell's Old Boys in his native Rosario.

Barca vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu also ruled out selling Fabregas, saying it was normal for United to be interested in the 26-year-old as he was "a great player" but that the club were counting on him.