Top 3 players to replace Cesc Fabregas at Chelsea

After an emotional farewell against Nottingham Forest, Cesc Fabregas is on the verge of joining AS Monaco. The Spaniard made 134 appearances for Chelsea and netted 15 goals after returning to the Premier League in 2014. He ranks 2nd in the all-time Premier League assists chart providing 111 assists in his entire Premier League spell.

With the transfer window open, Chelsea will be looking towards the transfer market to replace Fabregas. Here are the top 3 players, who can replace the Spaniard at Chelsea.

#1 Nicolo Barella (Cagliari)

The Italian is considered to be one of the rising stars in European footballÂ — The Italian is considered to be one of the rising stars in European football

The Italian is considered to be one of the rising stars in European football and could fit perfectly alongside N’Golo Kante and Jorginho in Sarri's midfield.

The 21-year-old has thrived in the Serie A over the last few years with reported interest from FC Bayern and Inter Milan. He averages more successful tackles per match (2.7 per game) than Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante (1.7 per game) and Mateo Kovacic (1.4 per game).

On the offensive side of play, he averages more key passes per game (1.2) than the other Chelsea midfielders Kante (0.8) and Kovacic (1). This 21-year-old rising star has got the key elements to fit into Chelsea’s midfield and thrive under fellow Italian Maurizio Sarri.

With his current market value being around €32 million, a fee of around €45 million will be enough for Chelsea to get this man amidst interest for the player from other clubs.

#2 Tanguy Ndombele (Lyon)

The 22-year-old Frenchman is currently having a spectacular season at Lyon. He is a midfield enforcer and averages about 2.0 successful dribbles per game. He is a maestro during counter-attacking situations. His long-range passing has the ability to convert defence into attack within a matter of seconds.

He is strong, agile, quick, a perfect midfield-man for any team. In his 22 appearances this season, he has managed 2 goals and 4 assists with a passing accuracy of 90%. He is already being looked at by Manchester City and Manchester United with reports suggesting that Barcelona are also interested to sign him.

The Frenchman can provide the much-needed energy to Sarri's midfield which was seen lacking in Chelsea's recent games.

With Lyon willing to listen offers for the player, and heavy competition in the market to sign him, a fee of around €80 million would be good enough to bring him to London, which is almost twice his current market valuation of around €45 million.

#3 Houssem Aouar (Lyon)

Another Lyon player who is having a stunning season, Aouar has scored 6 and assisted 4 in 28 appearances this season.

He is an intelligent player, and quite creative with his feet. He is a goal threat even from the center of the pitch with the way he runs forward and finds spaces in the penalty box.

He is a similar player to Ilkay Gundogan who also makes those clever runs into the box causing a threat to defences.

The 20-year-old averages almost 2.3 shots and 1.6 key passes per game. While on the defensive side, he manages an average of about 2.1 tackles every game.

Just like Barella, he has the key elements in his game to make him the perfect fit next to Jorginho and N'Golo Kante in that Chelsea midfield.

With Pulisic already signed, it would be just perfect for Sarri to invest in another 20-year-old who has the potential to make an impact on the way Chelsea plays. A fee of around €50 million will be enough for Chelsea to get this man.

Market fee source - www.transfermarket.co.uk