Manchester United had shown considerable interest in the Spaniard last summer and Arsenal obviously had a buy-back option on their former captain. There were other clubs also interested in Fabregas’ signature but it was Mourinho who convinced the 27-year-old to join the London club in the summer, according to the Telegraph.

Mourinho has revealed the inside story of how he signed the midfielder. He said, “I was objective with him. I gave him the different possibilities – with me you will play here, not there. This is the way we want to play, this is the way we are going to develop the team. No way with me are you going to play ‘fake No 9’, outside-left, outside-right. What I need is this, this and this.”

“We spoke about football. We spoke about the Chelsea project. We spoke about the way I want him to play, the way I want to transform my team, the Chelsea philosophy as a club. Not specifically, because it is not my job, but in general terms we spoke about what we would be able to pay to Barcelona, what we would be able to pay to him. Not to be decided there because, again, it is not my part of the job but just to give him an idea. And after that he said: Yes, I want to go, no doubt.”

“He was really happy to join us. And after that I contacted my club and my club was so fast and so strong doing things – which I was not expecting, honestly, because normally these things take more time. But my club were fantastic.”

Fabregas was certainly on form today as he lead his new team to a victory over one of his old teams. Even though it was Hazard who got the MOTM award from Alan Smith on Sky TV it was Fabregas unsurprisingly that the TV network wanted for the post game interviews and seemingly over-ruled Smith making Fabregas MOTM.