CESC FABREGAS insists he is only interested in continuing his impressive spell as manager of Como in Italy.
But it is naive to think he does not have a master plan of where he wants to eventually end up.
SunSport understands, maybe unsurprisingly, that place is the Premier League.
So what are the chances of Fabregas, who like Arteta is a former ex-Arsenal captain, eventually taking charge at the Emirates?
Whether it happens sooner or later, it is written in the stars.
Having just given Arteta another £240m-plus on players, Arsenal’s board are hoping their manager can lead the club to success and stick around for a considerable time without having to look for another manager.
But it is obvious that Fabregas currently has a list of admirers and they are certain to include Arsenal and another one of his former clubs, Chelsea.
SunSport has heard that some of Como’s players reckon Fabregas, despite being aged just 38, is the best manager they have played under due to his coaching methods, tactical nous and man-management.
Fabregas joined Como as a youth coach two years ago but was soon appointed as interim head coach.
He was involved in Como’s promotion to Serie A in the 2023-24 season but Osian Roberts officially held the head coach role while Fabregas completed his required Uefa coaching badges but everyone knows the Spaniard was really in charge.
Incredibly, Fabregas led tiny Como to 10th in Serie A last term and in the summer, he rejected the chance to replace Simone Inzaghi at Inter Milan and turned down Roma’s offer to replace Claudio Ranieri.
He even rejected an approach from Bayer Leverkusen to replace Xabi Alonso.
Como beat Lazio 2-0 in their opening Serie A game last weekend and Fabregas’ star continues to rise.
At some stage, either during this season or next summer, it is absolutely certain that some Premier League clubs will come calling.
Fabregas left Arsenal for Barcelona in August 2011 the same month Arteta arrived at the Emirates.
Now they are both managers, could the opposite happen and Fabregas end up arriving at the Emirates after the departure of Arteta?
DEAL ME IN
A NEW deal for Leandro Trossard was announced a week ago, before the 5-0 win over Leeds, which saw him secure a pay rise.
The new contract does not change the length of his existing deal, which runs until 2027.
Yet under rules, this deal had to be signed and sealed before the first game of the season against Manchester United.
Players cannot be given a pay rise in this sort of way once a game has been played.
TOP JOB
CARLOS CUESTA will have his first home match as Parma boss against Atalanta on Saturday after ending his five-year stint as an assistant for Mikel Arteta.
The Spaniard’s first Serie A game was a 2-0 loss at Juventus and in Italy, it is seen that he has taken a large risk by going to such a weak team.
SECOND BEST
KARL HEIN has been warned he will only be no 2 keeper at Werder Bremen after making a loan move from Arsenal, where he was no 3.
The transfer could be made permanent next summer for £2.6m.
NORWAY TO GO
PREMIER LEAGUE players and managers are now giving half-time interviews as part of the new TV.
For some, this is a shock but certainly not Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard.
He said: “People were quite surprised that I did a half-time interview in that Manchester United game but for me it’s quite normal.
“They do it in Norway – it’s quite common three. I have done them before so it was not that unusual for me.
“It’s in the Premier League contract now so I think everyone will get used to it here quite quickly.”
TEED OFF
ARSENAL players like playing golf but most of them are rubbish.
Some of the squad had a few rounds while on their pre-season camp in La Manga before heading off to Singapore for the start of their Asia tour.
Defender Ben White said: “Yes, I played golf with Christian Norgaard. We went around with Kai (Havertz), Martin (Zubimendi) and Leo (Trossard) but Christian was the only one who was any good.”
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