Chelsea Boss Antonio Conte Reportedly Plans to Use Spain Star in Number 10 Role Next Season
Antonio Conte has reaffirmed his faith in Spain international Cesc Fabregas with the former Juventus coach reportedly stating his intention to use the 30-year-old higher up the pitch in a No 10 role, next term.
Fabregas started just 13 Premier League games last season and appeared only as a second half substitute in Chelsea’s 2-1 FA Cup Final defeat to Arsenal, leaving question marks about the Spaniard’s future this summer.
However, after a first full season in the England, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte seems to have changed his mind about the former Arsenal captain, and is convinced he can play either in his familiar role in midfield as a partner for N’Golo Kante or just behind the strikers, according to a report by The Sun.
Despite limited opportunities, the former Barcelona midfielder provided an impressive 12 assists in the Premier League last term and became an important creative alternative to the primarily defensive presence of Kante and Nemanja Matic.
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The Spaniard voiced his frustration at his lack of playing time and was consistently linked with a move to Serie A giants Juventus throughout last season.
However, the former graduate of Barcelona’s prestigious La Masia academy now looks to have reclaimed his place in the Premier League champions' side with the added rigours of Champions League football looming.
Speaking to the press, Antonio Conte stressed the playmaker’s value to the West London side: “He is a really good player who can play in this position in midfield but also he could play No10.
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“He is a great example to other players with his commitment and his behaviour every day during training sessions. He must continue this way because he is working well for us.
“In the second part of last season, Cesc played a lot of games and he was an important player for us to reach our target of winning the league and also to reach the final of the FA Cup.
“He is a really good player and has worked really hard. I think Cesc has improved a lot from when I arrived at Chelsea, from his start and up to now, he has improved a lot.”
