Cesc Fabregas, Branislav Ivanovic may become West Ham teammates
By George Perry
Chelsea’s little-seen veterans Cesc Fabregas and Branislav Ivanovic may continue their playing careers together in the Premier League and in London. West Ham are eyeing both Blues, perhaps as early as the January transfer window.
Cesc Fabregas is on West Ham’s shortlist to replace Dimitri Payet. Payet said that he is “not closing the door to anything,” causing speculation that he may want a team that is more consistent on the pitch and less drama-riddled off the pitch.
The Hammers would immediately need someone equally potent to create scoring chances should Payet return to France. Fabregas is one possibility given his availability and ability to create goals. Fabregas would take up his standard role, serving passes to Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll upon Carroll’s return from injury.
West Ham may be in a better financial position to sign Fabregas than AC Milan. Fabregas makes £40,000 pounds a week more than Dimitri Payet. The Evening Standard believes West Ham would demand at least £33 million for Payet. That windfall should allow the Hammers to buy Fabregas outright, without Chelsea having to loan him and cover a portion of his current contract.
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Branislav Ivanovic could join Fabregas at West Ham. Ivanovic has mostly spectated for Chelsea so far this season. Ivanovic has been alternately out of form, injured and out of place with Antonio Conte’s lineups. The performance of Chelsea’s current defenders, John Terry’s return to the bench and Kurt Zouma’s imminent return all foreshadow the end of Ivanovic’s distinguished career in Blue.
The Evening Standard reported last week that Ivanovic desires to stay in London, having settled his family there over his eight years at Chelsea.
Chelsea could make a similar piece of business for Ivanovic as they did for Petr Cech. The Blues could allow Ivanovic to leave on a free transfer to West Ham to respect his personal wishes and in honor of his service.
Like Cech, this would mean passing up transfer fees from interested foreign clubs. The Chinese Super League would likely pay more than the market value for Ivanovic. Galatasaray has also been interested in acquiring the Serb.
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The prospect of consistent playing time and a starring role in the team would likely attract Cesc Fabregas to West Ham. However, they have little prospect of returning to Europe next season. After a career with Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea, Fabregas may only desire a team at the top of their respective table to guarantee more Champions League runs. Fabregas may push Chelsea to do a loan-to-own deal with a European club like AC Milan for just these reasons.
West Ham is a perfect move for Ivanovic, particularly at this late stage in his career. West Ham fans will appreciate his rough-and-tumble style of play, his striker instincts on the overlap and his physicality on offensive set pieces. He would have been a perfect addition to a Boleyn Ground side.
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The move would also be ideal for his family and personal life. Chelsea owes Ivanovic a similar respect as they did to Cech. Ivanovic has played a key role in all of Chelsea’s trophies. He deserves a Chelsea farewell that acknowledges those contributions, even if it entails missing out on a few million pounds. The move to West Ham would do right by Ivanovic on every dimension.