Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has revealed midfielder Cesc Fabregas is no longer an essential part of the Blues first team amid rumours over a possible transfer away from Stamford Bridge.

Fabregas was withdrawn at half-time in Hiddink’s first game back in charge of the club, a 2-2 draw with Watford, and he didn’t feature against Manchester United in Chelsea’s 0-0 draw at Old Trafford due to illness.

The Spain international is fit to play a part in Sunday’s clash with London rivals Crystal Palace, but Hiddink claims that doesn’t mean he’ll start, per Liam Twomey of ESPN FC:

There are games where we want to have another tactical balance defensively. For me it’s not just a goalkeeper and 10 outfield players; it’s also that we have potential good players until the 14th or 15th man. When they are needed we’ll put them in the lineup.

One time it’s Mikel, one time it’s Cesc or other people. That depends on the tactics and the strengths of the opponent, especially in midfield.

According to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Daniel Prescott of the MailOnline), Juventus and Inter Milan are both eyeing a potential move for the midfielder, who has endured a very difficult second season at Stamford Bridge.

As noted by Sky Sports News HQ, Hiddink has previously claimed the midfielder will not be moved on midseason. They also compared his form this season with his exceptional debut campaign:

Fabregas established himself as an indispensable part of Jose Mourinho’s side during the 2014-15 title-winning season.

Whether operating alongside Nemanja Matic in a deeper, controlling role, or further forward in support of a rampant Diego Costa, the Spaniard pulled the strings for the Blues. The spark he possessed last season has seeped away, though.

Like so many of Chelsea’s elite players, Fabregas has not lived up to his usually high standards as of late.

There’s no denying the midfielder’s talent, but given the spectacular drop off in form, it’ll be intriguing to see when and how Hiddink uses the playmaker for the rest of the season, especially with transfer talk beginning to gather momentum.

 

Chelsea Chasing Breel Embolo

According to an exclusive piece from Jamie Sanderson of Metro, Chelsea are hoping to sign FC Basel starlet Breel Embolo in January.

The 18-year-old is rated as one of the very best prospects in European football, with Sanderson noting Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus and Barcelona have all been keeping tabs on the Swiss international. But he wrote that the Blues are considering a swoop midseason, with the youngster valued at a whopping £20 million.

Here’s why there is so much hype surrounding Embolo, who possesses all the attributes to become a complete centre-forward:

The point of the attack has been an area of concern for the Blues. Costa has not been at his best throughout the season, while the reserve options—the injury-prone Loic Remy and the faded Radamel Falcao—are not to the standard required at Stamford Bridge.

As we can see here courtesy of Squawka Football, even Chelsea’s Player of the Year, Eden Hazard, has drawn a blank in front of goal:

For Embolo it’d be a big move. Prodigious players have moved to Chelsea at a young age previously and have struggled to make an impact, most notably Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, who had to move elsewhere.

There’d be a lot of pressure on him to perform as well, especially when considering the potential fee and the Blues’ problems in front of goal.

For the time being, Embolo would be better off with Basel. The Swiss side are a very capable outfit who are regularly involved in European competition. Being a critical part of that team would be much better for his development than being a reserve at Chelsea or any of the other aforementioned sides.

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