It’s certainly no secret that Cesc Fabregas may end up playing his football at The Bridge next season, but is the Spaniard what’s missing in the Chelsea midfield, or should the money be spent elsewhere?
With the recent departures of Frank Lampard and David Luiz, there is now a shortage of midfielders who are able to sit in the middle of the park – be it in a holding position, or slightly more advanced. Of course the inquisition of Matic may help to soften the blow slightly for Chelsea’s plans; however, with John Obi Mikel nearing the end of his Chelsea career, and recent interest in Ramires, this summer allows Jose to weigh up his options for the future of the Blues’ midfield.
The ‘2’ in the 4-2-3-1 set up last season was the victim of much change; at times it felt like Jose wasn’t really sure which players were best suited to fit in at that particular position, and in truth, not many of them were. The versatility of Lampard is something that will be almost irreplaceable; he is the personification of ‘box-to-box midfielder’, the all round professional. Of course it’s difficult to tell what Jose would do with Fabregas if he were to join the Blues this summer, and whether it’ll be to replace Frank or not, I can’t help but feel the funds would be better spent on a player that would in the long run. A player that’s only going to get better. An engine. A goalscorer. A real club player who will give his all in every game for the fans. Because Fabregas is not that player. A talented individual undoubtedly, gifted with the ball at his feet, and fairly clinical in front of goal, but surely we had a player like that in Mata – I’m sure fans would agree.
Fabregas can play defensively in the midfield if required to, but has spent much of the season playing behind the striker in a more advanced role, much like he does in the Spanish national team. In Fabregas’ first couple of seasons back at Barcelona, he didn’t feature heavily and it was noticeably a strange decision to bring him back for £35 from Arsenal. However, this season saw Fabregas feature much more frequently in the Barcelona team, with 8 goals from 36 La Liga games for the Spaniard. But this was not Barcelona’s finest season. An early elimination from Europe and losing the title on the last day of the season to Atletico provoked dispute amongst the fans, and the decision to bring him back from Arsenal in 2011 was questioned even more so.
Despite the new circumstances, it seems like the Fabregas deal may be the work of Roman – more of a luxury than a necessity. It doesn’t feel like the player is somebody that Jose wants; the two have had verbal disagreements from Jose’s time at Madrid, and it seems strange that Fabregas would want the move to Chelsea after his time at Arsenal – after all, he hates celery!
Personally I feel any sort of big move for a midfielder, particularly from abroad, is slightly demoralising for the likes of Chalobah, McEachran and many other highly regarded youth prospects, although I would agree that the midfield needs strengthening. Who would you like to see in the midfield next season, and why?
