5 replacements for Cesc Fabregas at Chelsea

#3 Thiago Alcantara (FC Bayern Munich)

Thiago would be a more than adequate replacement for Fabregas

Such has been the belief among football aficionados about Thiago’s abilities that despite the plethora of medals he has won in his career, there is still a general sense that he can and should get better to a Xavi-esque level.

A typical La Masia-trained player, he is a brilliant passer of the ball and fantastic dribbler as well as being a highly creative and technically gifted playmaker, with excellent dribbling skills and ball control.

This ability frees him up to operate effectively as a regista as he has space and vision to pick his passes from deep and the skill to take the ball up the pitch and create danger further forward.

This dribbling ability is not something that Fabregas has displayed much of in his time at Stamford Bridge and is something that has been sorely missed especially in the big, tight games.

An added advantage that Thiago brings to the team is his compact physique and small stature which gives him a low center of gravity.

With the great balance and agility this offers, he is able to retain possession under pressure and dribble past opponents into space in order to create chances for his teammates, something only Hazard has been able to do for the team.

He will be pricey though, a bid of £70m may be a good start for negotiations between Chelsea and Bayern.