Fabregas contributed 18 assists on the way to Chelsea’s 2014/15 Premier League win
As the holiday season approaches it’s inevitable that rumors begin to swirl regarding the January transfer window. It’s this window that has produced the transfer of Fernando Torres to Chelsea; Luis Suarez from Ajax to Liverpool; and even Clint Dempsey from the New England Revolution to Fulham.
“Silly season” is what it’s called, most-predominately in the United Kingdom, but the same can be applied to the Major League Soccer offseason and rumors that fly around trades and designated player signings.
At the end of the 2016 season New York City FC said goodbye to one of their three designated players in Frank Lampard, lost Andoni Iraola to retirement, and are shopping the heavily-salaried Mix Diskerud to buyers both at home and, most likely, overseas.
With Lampard’s $6 million, Iraola’s $200,000, and potentially Diskerud’s $761,250 off the books there is real money to be spent in New York on a third designated player, especially when you factor in that New York City FC can also buy down a players contract with Targeted Allocation Money.
New York City has already strengthened with some shrewd buys this offseason. City brought in USL rising star Sean Okoli as depth up-front, and they traded with Atlanta United FC for goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
However the departure of Lampard and Diskerud leaves a big hole in the center of midfield.
While Andrea Pirlo can anchor the midfield better than anybody in the league there are times where New York City FC has relied arguably too much on players like Tommy McNamara to create something from nothing.
New York City FC is coming off the back of a tremendous season where they have firmly established themselves as a power in the Eastern Conference. Their possession based attack that has been honed by coach Patrick Viera has left behind the questions of whether or not the pitch at Yankee Stadium does or does not have a bearing on their results. They are a bona-fide team to be reckoned with now… but their crushing loss to Toronto FC will hurt. Badly.
So how do improve a team that went toe-to-toe with the team many called the best team in MLS last season — the New York Red Bulls? The next step for New York City FC has to be a MLS Cup win.
NYCFC should be able to go out and replace Lampard with a player of real quality, and with just as big of a name. It’s understandable why the league doesn’t usually splash the cash on big-name players — sustainability is something that has always been championed in MLS –, just look at what has happened to the New York Cosmos and the North American Soccer League (NASL) this offseason.
But with Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) today securing a $74 million move for Brazilian international Oscar, you might wonder what Major League Soccer does in retaliation to prove to fans and investors alike that it wont be left behind by the Chinese Super League’s gargantuan spending.
Enter Cesc Fabregas.
Out of favour? who knows, honestly. But the former World Cup winner is out of the team and possibly out of time at Stamford Bridge. Antonio Conte has refused to guarantee that Fabregas would still be with Chelsea when January transfer window closes and that should prick Major League Soccer and Don Garber’s ears up.
He wouldn’t come cheap, though, and they’ll need help from teams like NYCFC to get him.
In-fact should Fabregas transfer to Major League Soccer he would certainly trump the biggest transfer fee ever paid by MLS — $10 million for Michael Bradley —, he’d most likely be made its highest paid player ever, too.
With the addition of players like Miguel Almiron, Giovani Dos Santos, and Sebastian Giovinco it is clear that Major League Soccer can tempt both up-and-coming stars, and players in the primes of their careers.
It’s not a retirement league any longer, so why not extend an invitation to Cesc Fabregas?
Fabregas is 29 years old. He is not a 34-year-old coming to Major League Soccer to retire kind of player — he’s still in the prime of his career. Cesc has accomplished more than most could ever aspire to in an entire career with regard to individual honors and while he’s used to teams being built around him, Major League Soccer could build a league around him.
Some may argue that Fabregas is almost on the wrong side of 30 for a potential $15-20 million transfer and $8 million a year salary but for the role that Fabregas plays in any midfield duo or trio, his age shouldn’t be considered a detriment.
At 29 Fabregas is the perfect age for a big-bucks designated player that could actually help New York City FC go the extra step in the Major League Soccer playoffs, and perhaps even bring home the prize that has eluded Major League Soccer since the year 2000 — The CONCACAF Champions League.
He may be out of favor right now with Antonio Conte at Chelsea, but that may work in MLS’s favor in the short term.
Whichever way you look at it, the Chelsea maestro’s numbers are absolutely staggering. Fabregas over the last three seasons (which includes arguably his least productive season ever), has been one of the world’s premier midfielders, and that doesn’t look like stopping any time soon.
Not to mention his 97 Premier League assists rank him 4th all-time behind Ryan Giggs, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney — all legends of the game in their own right.
Fabregas has averaged an assist every other game over the last three seasons, while creating 2.8 clear-cut chances per game, contributing at least 2.34 key passes per game, all the while completing 84% of his passes, and winning 46% of his duels.
His biggest improvement in the last three years is with regard to his defensive duties. Fabregas under Antonio Conte has chipped in with 1.42 interceptions per 90 minutes — just one quarter of an interception per 90 minutes than Nemanja Matic. Fabregas has gone from a playmaking machine, to a complete one.
How does this compare to NYCFC midfielders?
Fabregas bests all New York City FC midfielders (yes, even Andrea Pirlo) in the following categories: Passing accuracy; key passes; chances created; assists; interceptions and total % of duels won, in just eight appearances in the Premier League this season so far.
It’s actually not even close. Not by a long way. Not by a single metric.
Some fans and pundits may shudder at the thought of making Cesc Fabregas Major League Soccer’s highest ever player but when you delve deep into what he could bring to Major League Soccer — and subsequently a team like New York City FC — it’s hard to see why he shouldn’t be.
Garber and MLS missed out on Javier Hernandez by not giving in to his $10 million per year wage demands. Can they afford to do that if the chance arises with a player like Fabregas? The answer, quiet simply, is no.
To some this might seem rather obvious, but MLS — and NYCFC — should be at the point now where it can attract players like Fabregas. Attracting the Chelsea and ex-Barcelona midfielder would represent a watershed moment in Don Garber’s quest for MLS to be considered one of the “top leagues in the world” by 2020.
Fabregas may be one of the most complete midfielders in the world right now, and the stars are aligning for Major League Soccer to pull off possibly the biggest coup in its young history. Don Garber, Major League Soccer, and New York City FC must pursue him with all that they have, or risk missing out on possibly the best player to ever play in the league.
