3 huge confirmed deals so far in the transfer window
The January window opened to a lot of speculations as usual. Manchester United needed a defender, among a host of other players, however, Solskjaer's appointment also hinted at other recruitment. All the big clubs were expected to have varying degrees of involvement and as we head to the halfway mark of the window, there have been quite a few interesting developments.
While the rumours continue to surface with each passing day, today we take a look at the three biggest confirmed moves in January so far.
#3 Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea to Monaco)
Fabregas' time at Chelsea has come to an end. The Spanish midfielder has secured a move to Monaco to join his former teammate and mentor Thierry Henry, who is in charge of the Ligue 1 side. The transfer fee has not been disclosed by either party, but it has been revealed by BBC that Monaco will not pay any fee to the Premier League side, instead, they will pay bonuses depending on how Fabregas performs at his new club.
The Spaniard is a product of the fabled La Masia, the Barcelona academy, where he graduated with Lionel Messi. In 2003 he joined Arsenal and played for the Gunner for 8 years until 2011 when he returned to Barcelona. However, his stay at the Catalans was not fruitful and in 2014, Fabregas returned to the Premier League, this time in the colours of Chelsea.
In his first season at Chelsea, the Spaniard was phenomenal, raking up 19 assists from 34 games in the Premier League. He finished the season with 24 assists and 5 goals from 47 games as Chelsea won the Premier League. It remains his best return for the Blues. Fabregas won two Premier Leagues, one FA Cup and one League Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
At Monaco, his first challenge will be to save his club from the pangs of relegation. The Ligue 1 side are currently 19th in the table and have won just 3 of the 18 games so far this season. Hopefully, Fabregas' arrival will turn their year around.