Cesc Fàbregas

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Shame Gundogan of all players had to be injured whole season...if he had another great season, he would be on top form, is perfect player we need in pivot because he is fast, creative, defends everything...he wouldnt cost fortune because he had just 2 year contract

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

I don't buy into this 'He won't have the passion because he is ex-Arsenal' stuff, he's like all footballers, he's a winner and he wants to achieve things. He can achieve things here he never did with Arsenal and that's lift the Premier League title. We offer location he knows, a league he knows and CL football and what for me is classed as a small thing is the #4 shirt.

I've got a feeling this will happen.

At worst he will do a Torres and constantly talks to the media about how he had top managers in his career with reference to Wenger, Pep, Jose...etc. But if he works as hard on the pitch and do his best then that is more than enough. RVP moved to MU and despite loving Arsenal for 7-8 years, now he is treating them as nothing but an opposition that he likes to score again.

Also Fab loved Barca so much but now he is being forced out, doesn't mean he starts hating the club but he will leave despite his love instead of fighting for his place because he knows he is appreciated elsewhere like us at Chelsea.

[ChelseaFanUK 1,014]

I don't buy into this 'He won't have the passion because he is ex-Arsenal' stuff, he's like all footballers, he's a winner and he wants to achieve things. He can achieve things here he never did with Arsenal and that's lift the Premier League title. We offer location he knows, a league he knows and CL football and what for me is classed as a small thing is the #4 shirt.

I've got a feeling this will happen.

I think it will, too. As I posted Koke and Pogba unlikely due to one being more than likely Barca bound and one being about 15m more expensive. The news about Fab being a board decision was from a portugese guys tweet

[Ljpaddock 187]

He will be bought to replace oscar I'm afraid. Save this for quoting when he is sold. Cheers

[cadenza666 221]

I Like It!!!!

and the window hasnt even opened haha. fun times unless one is an Arse fan (despite Nemo last August!)

[bababoom 4,478]

Sooner or later we'll know whether he was bought in to play the number 10 role or in the pivot (or both), if Cesc is the only midfielder we bring in than i think it's safe to presume he'll be playing in the pivot, with Luiz and Lampard gone, not to mention Mikel seems on the way out, we are pretty short in that department. The Telegraph did mention briefly that Mourinho wants Cesc and Koke/Pogba but i'm not sure how true that is. Regarding Koke he's another one who has rarely played deep in midfield, this season he's mostly played on the right of a 4-4-2, Gabi and Tiago/Suarez were the two in midfield... i'm not saying he cant play in the pivot because he has all the right attributes but who's to say Jose doesn't envision him playing higher up the pitch?

After all this talking it would be hilarious if we get Paulinho...

[BleedsBlue 1,549]

LOL let him sign first then we'll decide if he's here to replace Oscar or not.

[ChelseaFanUK 1,014]

anyone think we may be just wanting to finalise costa and maybe luis before moving on with fab deal?

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

At the same time, some are desperate to believe he can't. I have made my point throughout the thread several times, that blog post just reinforces exactly what I think.

If we sign him it'll obviously be with the approval of Jose. Fabregas is quite a similar type of player to most that you've mentioned - Modric, Koke, Alonso...

If Jose doesn't want Fabregas we won't sign him. The team is being built in Jose's image, and if that includes signing Fabregas then you can't really say Fabregas is not a Jose-type player.

That blog proves nothing, since when is 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 include a pivot?

[NiclasCFC 2,582]

That blog proves nothing, since when is 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 include a pivot?

are you on crack bro?

[Korea 734]

Cesc maybe EPL proven, however, he played for Arsenal.....

Arsenal, doesn't play like the rest of the epl minus Swansea and maybe Liverpool. That being said, we had Mikel, Lampard, Essien and Ramires the past so years, so CESC is definitely an upgrade x10 as a cm.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Is he even suited for Counter football anyway?

[The Skipper 20,593]

That blog proves nothing, since when is 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 include a pivot?

My idea of a pivot is a two man central midfield with one holding and one venturing forward a bit more to help use possession more effectively during the attacking/possession phase, whilst returning to a flat two base in the defensive/retrieval phase.

4-4-1-1 is basically a permutation of 4-2-3-1 anyway, and we usually go into a 4-4-1-1 shape when defending or trying to retrieve the ball anyway. I would classify the two in midfield Arsenal used to employ on several occasions (Fabregas with Gilberto/Flamini/Song) as a type of pivot, yes.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Is he even suited for Counter football anyway?

I'd definitely say he's more suited to direct, counter attacking football rather than tiki taka, hence why he wasn't a huge success at Barcelona.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

That blog proves nothing, since when is 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 include a pivot?

If you want to be technical about it, the we don't and have never played with a genuine double pivot. What we play is just a two man central midfield like any 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1.

[drog.ba 239]

I don't think he'll sign, we should move for Koke who Mourinho reportedly prefers

It seems like Barcelona need to offload Fabregas to fund Koke's signing, which puts us in a strong position as we appear to be the only destination for Fabregas. The only teams I can see him joining are us, Man City/Utd, Arsenal and Bayern- who are all bar maybe City well stoccked in his position; at a push I could see him going to PSG but that depends on the leverage Barca have to force Fabregas out. Hopefully we can we stall over a deal for Fabregas whilst signing Koke

[Special Juan 27,424]

'The Pivot' 'Regista'

My grandad would turn in his fucking grave with all these names now.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

If you want to be technical about it, the we don't and have never played with a genuine double pivot. What we play is just a two man central midfield like any 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1.

All about how one is tactically deployed it has little to do we where one is said to be playing. Having said that I think last year Matic and Ramires played the traditional pivot for us.

The role Lamps played at times is the one I see Cesc playing for us now in a 4-1-4-1