Fabregas Dumps Barcelona; Joins Chelsea
By Opeyemi Oladunjoye
Cesc Fábregas has completed his transfer to Chelsea from Barcelona, the Spain midfielder has announced in a statement.
The 27-year-old is currently in Brazil with the national squad but has put pen to paper on a deal that takes him back to England after leaving Arsenal for the Camp Nou in 2011.
He is believed to have signed a five-year contract for a fee in the region of £30m at Chelsea, who emerged as leading contenders to sign the player when Arsenal turned down the chance to re-sign their former captain.
With Barcelona having failed to win any silverware last season and the appointment of Luis Enrique as the new head coach, Fábregas was allowed to leave Spain and he revealed that Chelsea was his preferred option from those who had made their interest known.
“I considered all the other offers very carefully and I firmly believe that Chelsea is the best choice,” said Fábregas, who was rumoured to have told his Spanish team-mates about the move last week.
“They match my footballing ambitions with their hunger and desire to win trophies. They have an amazing squad of players and an incredible manager. I am fully committed to this team and I can’t wait to start playing.
“I would like to thank everyone at FC Barcelona where I enjoyed three wonderful years. It was my childhood club and I will always be proud and honoured that I had a chance to play for such a great team.
“I do feel that I have unfinished business in the Premier League and now is the right time to return.”
