Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas back amongst the AC Milan transfer rumours
By George Perry
It’s pre-season for silly season, and Cesc Fabregas is leading the line for Chelsea. AC Milan is supposedly preparing an offer to entice the Spaniard substitute to Serie A and send Mattia De Sciglio to Chelsea.
Cesc Fabregas took plenty of spins in the summer transfer rumour mill after a weak 2015/16 and uncertainty about his future under Antonio Conte. Conte has given Fabregas few opportunities to prove his worth to the side so far this season.
While Fabregas had a stellar EFL Cup fixture against Leicester City, it did not turn the tide in his favor. Perhaps sensing Fabregas’ dissatisfaction with life as a substitute, AC Milan may offer to buy him from Chelsea in the winter transfer window.
The rumour has AC Milan paying about £8.8 million and defender Mattia De Sciglio to Chelsea in return for Cesc Fabregas. De Sciglio is a 23-year old outside back who plays primarily on the right side.
De Sciglio has played on both the right and left for AC Milan. His best season so far was his full season debut in 2012/13. He made 27 Serie A appearances, with 131 clearances and 40 interceptions.
His versatility on either side of the pitch as well as his frame are reminiscent of Cesar Azpilicueta. Despite the superficial similarities, De Sciglio’s performances in Serie A offer no threat to Chelsea’s under-stated Spaniard. De Sciglio would come to Chelsea as backup player in case Azpilicueta, Marcos Alonso or a wingback are unavailable.
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Only after a series of lineup shuffles would De Sciglio have a place on the pitch. Chelsea has a strong right side in a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 formation with Azpilicueta and Victor Moses. Azpilicueta can also return to his less-favored but familiar left side if Alonso is unavailable.
Azpilicueta and Alonso are equally adept as wingbacks or back-line defenders. Azpilicueta demonstrated against Hull that, in a pinch, he can also fill in as centre-back. If Chelsea is – perish the thought – once again unsuccessful in their pursuit of a top-flight centre-back, Azpilicueta may spend more time in the back-three.
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De Sciglio’s arrival would confirm the end of Branislav Ivanovic’s career at Chelsea. Antonio Conte consigned Ivanovic to the bench for the first time since the Andre Villas-Boas era against Hull. Ivanovic’s performances at both centre-back and right-back this season and late last season signalled an end to his run in Blue.
Ivanovic’s removal from the top end of the lineup allows Chelsea’s existing defenders to take a step up the ladder. De Sciglio would arrive to fill in an empty place at the bottom rung.
Despite press statements and Instagram posts to the contrary, Cesc Fabregas’ future with Chelsea has never been secure under Antonio Conte. Players who lock up their place in the starting XI are not the subjects of early transfer rumours.
The Mattia De Sciglio aspect of this rumour may be the most intriguing aspect of it all. If it is credible, it indicates that Chelsea is planning a medium-term line of succession for a key role. Antonio Conte’s and Roman Abramovich’s lunch-time chats may already be paying dividends for Chelsea’s future.
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The possibility that Chelsea will some day has a smooth transition rather than a scrambling, over-priced panic buy at the expense of a youth player is quite tantalizing. But let’s not get carried away. Tis but a rumour.