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Cesc Fabregas left Chelsea in the January transfer window joining French side AS Monaco signing a deal with the Principality side until 2020. The Spaniard's acquisition was a coup by Monaco who are battling for Ligue 1 survival.
Fabregas is a decorated midfielder who has won almost all trophies and is regarded as one of the best central midfielders in Premier League history. He is the record holder for the fastest player to achieve 100 assists in the English Premier League in just 293 games.
Cesc was once compared to Italian midfield genius Andrea Pirlo by former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. The Spaniard and assist king had a golden opportunity to wind up his Chelsea career with a goal but missed a first-half penalty against Nottingham Forest in his last appearance for the Blues. Cesc was spared of his blushes by his compatriot Alvaro Morata who scored a second-half brace to make sure he signed off in a winning note.
The Blues failed to find a replacement for the Spaniard midfield maestro in the January transfer window as they only managed to sign a striker - Gonzalo Higuain on-loan from Juventus until the end of the season. Chelsea will now turn their attention to the summer transfer window to fill in the void that Cesc left at Stamford Bridge.
Here is a look at midfielders the Blues could target in the summer to replace the departed legend.
#5 Houssem Aouar (Olympique Lyon)
Houssem Aouar is an exciting young French midfielder who has come up through Olympique Lyon's youth system and is lighting up the Ligue 1 with his impressive performances for the Les Gones.
The 20-year old has starred for Lyon this season in his second senior season and is showing maturity and promise of a player who is going to dominate football over the next decade. He played an integral role in Lyon's shock win over Manchester City in the Champions League.
The youngster has averaged 87% passing accuracy and has managed seven goals and four assists this season with three of the assists coming in the Champions League. Houssem Aouar is not in the mould of Fabregas but has shown his control of the game from central midfield and his eye for goal could be an added advantage for the Blues.
#4 Giovani Lo Celso (PSG)
Giovani Lo Celso is developing into a versatile midfielder at Real Betis where he joined on loan from French giants PSG. The 22-year old has featured prominently for the Spanish side and has already racked up 27 appearances.
The Argentine has scored nine goals and laid three assists from central midfield showing how lethal he could be for the Blues. He has averaged 86.2% passing accuracy in the La Liga this season showing his calmness and composure on the ball.
Due to his impressive performances, Lo Celso has already racked up 10 appearances for the Argentina national team. At 22-years, Giovani Lo Celso could be a long term successor for the departed Spaniard and could dominate the English Premier League for years.
However, prying him away from the French giants could prove to be very difficult for the Blues as he could be viewed as long term replacement for contract rebel Adrien Rabiot.
#3 Abdoulaye Doucoure (Watford)
The Frenchman has developed into a midfield powerhouse at Watford with his assured performance at the centre of the pack for the Hornets. He was Watford's Player of the Season last year after his explosive performances kept the Hornets in the Premier League for another season.
His positional awareness keeps balance in the team with his passing range allowing him to dictate the tempo of matches. Doucoure has averaged 82% passing accuracy this season and his midfield combativeness allows him to snuff off attacking moves by opponents. He has chipped in with three goals and five assists this season, a very healthy return for a central midfielder.
His stand out performance at the heart of the Watford midfield has seen him being linked with top European sides. He was linked with a move to PSG this winter transfer window, though the transfer did not materialize. Doucoure's acquisition could strengthen the Blues midfield and help fill the void left by the departed legend.
#2 Julian Weigl (Borussia Dortmund)
Julian Weigl is one of the most coveted young central midfielders in Europe. His performances have caught eyes ever since he joined Borussia Dortmund as a teenager from Bundesliga 2 side 1860 Munich in 2014.
The 23-year-old German earned his way into Dortmund's starting line-up as a youngster with his assured performances. He has represented the German national team five times and was a member of the Die Mannschaft Euro 2016 team.
The youngster has featured sparingly this season under Lucien Favre making only seven appearances for the Black and Yellows scoring one goal in the process. His ability to dictate tempo of game and keeping balance in the team is evident as he has averaged 92.2% passing accuracy this season.
Weigl's contract expires in the summer and he could join the Blues on a free transfer in the summer to link up with his Borussia Dortmund team-mate Christian Pulisic who will also be joining Chelsea in the summer.
#1 Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich)
Thiago Alcantara is one of the finest central midfielders in European football as he is highly creative and technically gifted. Since joining Bayern Munich in 2013 to link up with his former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, Thiago has matured and is at the pinnacle of his career.
Thiago has excelled as a deep-lying playmaker for the Bavarians across his six-year stay with the German giants. His great passing technique and vision is well exhibited as he has averaged 91.6% passing accuracy in 16 Bundesliga appearances this season.
He replaced Fabregas in the Spain national team as the La Roja deep-lying playmaker and could do the same for Chelsea. Thiago has been linked with a move to Manchester City to be reunited with his former manager and the Blues should act quickly if they are to secure the signature of the former Barcelona midfielder.
