Chelsea’s summer spending spree opened with a bang a fortnight ago as the club announced the capture of Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona. The 27-year-old has signed up on a five-year contract and returns to the English top-flight just three years after leaving Arsenal for Li Liga:

The midfielder has recently conceded he held talks with Arsene Wenger over a potential return but the Gunners boss rejected the chance to bring him back due to last summer’s purchase of Mesut Ozil. Having then discussed his move with Jose Mourinho, Fabregas admitted he took little time to agree to the Stamford Bridge switch:

“When I decided that my time at Barcelona had ended, I looked for the best option for me. Arsenal was the first option, for contractual reasons. There was a clause that gave them the right to decide. We spoke to Wenger and he said that the space was very well filled by Mesut Özil and it was hard to find a place for both of us in the team. I wanted to go back to the Premier League and I had to think about what my options were then. I had many very good offers, the logical options. I spoke to José Mourinho and he told me that he wanted me there. He convinced me very, very quickly. He told me what I wanted to hear; he won me over and convinced me. I am very happy, very satisfied and I think it will all go phenomenally well.”

The History

A product of the Barcelona youth academy, Fabregas was snapped up by Arsenal at the age of 16 back in September 2003. The following year, injuries to a number of first-team players allowed the Spaniard to establish himself as a regular in Wenger’s midfield and over the course of eight seasons at the Emirates, he produced 57 goals and 98 assists across 303 appearances in all competitions. Fabregas’ creativity saw him provide 10+ assists in each of his final five years for the Gunners, with the 2009/10 campaign proving the highlight for Fantasy managers, when he delivered 15 goals and 13 assists.

Returning to Barcelona in August 2011, Fabregas continued to impress as a creative force. Despite playing for a trio of managers over a variety of positions during his three years at the Nou Camp, the 27-year-old delivered 28 goals and 34 assists over 96 league appearance and once again served up 10+ assists in every season.

On the international stage, Fabregas has struggled to nail down a regular role for Spain. As a result, many of his 89 appearances have come courtesy of the bench, with a total of 13 goals scored for his country thus far.

The Prospects

In an interview with the Spanish press, Mourinho explained just why he pursued the 27-year-old and played down previous altercations between the pair during their respective spells in Spain.

“Cesc is a great player that gives a new dimension to our team. He’s different from [Nemanja] Matic, Ramires and Oscar. With him we have a comprehensive central midfield. I wanted a midfielder with a certain style and now I have him…There are no problems. We had a five minute chat and we cleared everything up. He knows what I think.”

Fabregas’ signing could turn out to be a masterstroke by the Chelsea boss as he looks to add more creativity to his starting XI. Last term at the Bridge, Eden Hazard’s total of 10 assists was twice the number of all but Fernando Torres (with six) for Mourinho’s side and bearing in mind the new boy has produced at least 10 assists in each of his last eight seasons, the Blues have added a very reliable player to the mix.

As for his Fantasy prospects, much will depend on exactly where Mourinho intends to mainly utilise the Spaniard. Fabregas’ versatility offers the Blues boss a number of options – able to be fielded in the double-pivot or behind a lone forward in a 4-2-3-1, he could also play in the “Frank Lampard” role if Mourinho rolls out a 4-3-3, now that the veteran has parted company with the club.

Obviously, if Fabregas is mainly utilised in a deep-lying berth alongside Nemanja Matic in front of the back-four, his potential will take a significant dip, though his distribution from deep would be key if Chelsea continue to play on the counter. A more advanced position would bring him into consideration and, if he comes in around the 9.0 to 9.5 mark in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), could afford us a viable alternative to Hazard amongst the Blues midfield – the latter is set for a price hike into double figures after yet another strong season last time around.

With the likes of Oscar, Andre Schurrle and Mohamed Salah all vying for the wide roles, Fabregas certainly looks a more secure starter for the Blues. If, like Hazard, he can nail down a role as one of Mourinho’s new batch of “Untouchables”, the season ahead could be a fruitful one, though it won’t be until later in the summer, when he takes to the pitch, that we are likely to get an idea as to his manager’s intentions.

Further Reference

Cesc Fabregas Wikipedia
Cesc Fabregas Statistics
Cesc Fabregas You Tube Highlights