Barcelona's top 10 academy graduates

#7 Cesc Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas returned to Barcelona after a successful spell with Arsenal

A part of La Masia from the age of 10 years old, midfielder Cesc Fabregas made a huge decision at the age of 16; feeling that first-team opportunities at the Nou Camp could be limited, he made a move to Arsenal in September 2003, and quickly became their youngest ever player when he debuted in an EFL Cup match against Rotherham United.

Fabregas took some time to establish himself as a starter at the North London side, but went on to become one of the Premier League’s most renowned midfielders, usually being deployed by Arsene Wenger as a deep-lying playmaker. By 2010 – after winning Arsenal’s Player of the Year award twice – reports began to emerge linking him with a move back to the Nou Camp, and in the summer of 2011, he made a €29m move back to Catalonia.

The midfielder stayed for 3 seasons at Barcelona – winning a La Liga title in 2012-13 in the process – and then moved back to England with Chelsea in the summer of 2014, where he promptly won 4 more trophies, including two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League. He now plies his trade in France’s Ligue 1 with Monaco.