DOES CESC FABREGAS STILL HAVE MORE TO OFFER THAN A MOVE TO COMO SUGGESTS?

When debating the greatest Premier League midfielders of all time, the conversation inevitably swings towards the triumvirate of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and Paul Scholes. It seems as though this impenetrable nostalgia bubble has been formed around those England players, to the extent that some of the division’s best imports from  across Europe often get overlooked.

While the recency bias of Kevin de Bruyne means it could be some time until comparisons are drawn between
the Manchester City man and the rest of the pack, his technical excellence must surely put his name in the discussion — amongst fellow clubmen Yaya Toure and David Silva, as well as current Crystal
Palace boss Patrick Vieira.

Despite so many elite names already being listed off, perhaps the most under-appreciated of all is the maestro that is Cesc Fàbregas. Having arrived at Arsenal from Barcelona’s La Masia academy as a boy, the Catalonian broke into Arsène Wenger’s Invincibles as the youngest player in the club’s history, an accolade in itself considering they were always favourites for the title on sports betting sites at the time.

Alongside Thierry Henry, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie, Fabregas became one of the best central midfielders in the world. His qualities — elegant dribbling, unique vision and nonchalant passing range — made him one of the hottest prospects in Europe and a move to Barcelona finally became official in 2011, after Pep Guardiola’s side had won the Champions League.

While his departure from the Emirates was understandable — Barcelona was a dream destination and perhaps his best football came under Guardiola at Camp Nou away from English shores, reimagined as a false nine — his return to London was acrimonious to say the least. Linked with Arsenal after the 2014 World Cup, Fabregas instead linked up with José Mourinho at Chelsea, where his ingenuity would nicely complement the industry of Nemanja Matić and the firepower of Diego Costa as the Blues won the title in his maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge, as well as a plethora of domestic trophies.

A second title would arrive under Antonio Conte but his Italian compatriot Maurizio Sarri ensured his time in west London was up. And after a spell at Monaco, we’re seeing the twilight of the Spaniard’s time on the football pitch. The last season in the French Principality were tough for Fabregas, with gametime hard to come by, and a move was necessary in order to keep the technician enjoying the beautiful game. Having hinted at pastures new, it looks likely that Fabregas will sign for Serie B side Como.

“It’s been not only the worst year of my career but the worst year of my life because when I’m not happy in football, I can’t be happy in life,” he said. “I have suffered a lot this year; it’s been difficult mentally.

“I am open to anything, I just want to enjoy myself. The place doesn’t really matter. I am going to find a new project and see where the future takes me.”

Geographically, Fabregas potentially has had the best career of all time in terms of picturesque locations, tranquil seafronts, rivieras and bustling cities, almost redolent of the art his feet are capable of conjuring even in the latter stages of his career. But even at the ripe age of 35 he has more to offer than the second tier of Italian football?

While he doesn’t have anything left to prove, Fabregas could still offer his services to plenty of sides across Europe, but the slower pace of the division will allow him to manage his fitness as well as rack up plenty more assists, as he continues to drop deeper though midfield, essentially a quarterback role now to hit diagonal passes and transition through the phases.

It will be a sad day when Fabregas does decide to hang up the boots, and he’ll surely be remembered as one of the greatest midfielders to grace the Premier League.