Wednesday evening saw Cesc Fabregas a midfield maestro make his 500th appearance in English football as Chelsea were held by Southampton and the Spaniard posted a message on social media that could be his farewell to supporters of the Blues after the game. Cesc briefly saluted the fans in attendance after the final whistle, with the midfielder currently being linked with a move away this January, most notably to Ligue 1 side Monaco.
Fàbregas came through La Masia, Barcelona's youth academy, leaving at 16 when he was signed by Premier League club Arsenal in September 2003. Following injuries to key midfielders in the early part of the 2004–05 season, he went on establish himself in the team. He broke several of the club's records in the process, earning a reputation as one of the best players in his position, and won the FA Cup in 2005. After a protracted transfer saga, Fàbregas left London on 15 August 2011 to return to Barcelona in a deal worth up to £35 million. During his three-year spell at the Camp Nou, Fàbregas played alongside Xavi and Andrés Iniesta and won a La Liga title, the Copa del Rey, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and two Spanish Super Cups. He returned to London in June 2014 to Arsenal's cross-town rivals Chelsea for a fee of £30 million, and in his first year there he helped to secure League Cup and Premier League triumphs.
Internationally, Fàbregas made his debut for the Spanish national team in March 2006. He represented his country in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012, 2013 Confederations Cup, the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016. He was a key figure in Spain's European Championship victories in 2008 and 2012 and their 2010 World Cup triumph in which he supplied the pass for Andrés Iniesta's winning goal in the final. On 12 October 2015, Fàbregas earned his 100th cap for Spain.
500 games in English football, the best and most competitive football in the world, what a ride it has been! A proper dream come true to reach these numbers. Another proud moment in my career. I will see you all at the Bridge on Saturday. @arsenal @chelseafc #cesc500 pic.twitter.com/LN2DSb9CIC— Cesc Fàbregas Soler (@cesc4official) January 2, 2019
Having moved to Arsenal as a 16-year-old, Fabregas has spent over 12 years in English football and has been one of the best-ever Premier League players.
He is second only to Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs in the all-time assists chart, despite having spent three years in Spain at Barcelona, and has won every English domestic trophy including two League titles with Chelsea.
500 games in English football, the best and most competitive football in the world, what a ride it has been! A proper dream come true to reach these numbers. Another proud moment in my career. I will see you all at the Bridge on Saturday,” Fabregas wrote on Twitter.
Earlier it was reported in the media that Fabregas was likely to continue his career at Monaco.The Spanish performer has already agreed with the Monegasques the terms of the contract. Fabregas is understood to have agreed terms over a move to Monaco, where he will be reunited with former Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry, who is the current manager at the Parc des Princes. The Spaniard's contract at Chelsea is due to expire at the end of this season, but Monaco will reportedly pay €10m (£9m) in order to secure his services this month. AC Milan were also interested in Fabregas, while Chelsea had offered him an 18-month contract extension, but Monaco have now won the race for his signature.
However, Calciomercato reports that the Ligue 1 outfit may have to wait a little longer to complete the deal as Chelsea search for a replacement for the 31-year-old.
Fabregas, who is set to sign a five-year contract at Monaco, has made 197 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions since joining them in 2014.
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