Fabregas and Inter: The Transfer That Never Was
Cesc Fabregas and Inter Milan have been linked on multiple occasions throughout the Spanish midfielder's storied career, but a move to the Nerazzurri has never materialised. The most recent flirtation came just last summer, according to sources close to the club, when Inter's sporting directors, Giuseppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio, made an approach for the Como manager, only to be rebuffed by the Italian club's president.
The story of Fabregas and Inter, however, began much earlier, with the first contact dating back to 2003. As a 16-year-old prodigy leaving Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, the young Spaniard was a target for the Nerazzurri. Former Inter scout Pierluigi Casiraghi, the club's talent spotter who passed away in 2018, was instrumental in the initial approach. The club presented a significant offer to the teenager, who had just been named the best player at the FIFA U-17 World Cup. However, Fabregas ultimately chose the path to Arsenal and Arsène Wenger, lured by the promise of first-team football in North London.
Six years later, in the summer of 2009, the clubs' paths nearly crossed again. Then-Inter president Massimo Moratti was a known admirer of Fabregas, who was by then a star at Arsenal. Manager Jose Mourinho, who was building a treble-winning squad, was keen to make the Spaniard the creative fulcrum of his team. Despite the significant interest and a major project being built at the San Siro, Fabregas opted to remain with the Gunners for another season, a decision that postponed a potential move to Italy by over a decade.
The most recent chapter in this near-miss saga unfolded just last year. After Simone Inzaghi's departure, Inter's management, Marotta and Ausilio, identified Fabregas as a potential managerial candidate. They made an official approach to Como, where Fabregas was beginning his coaching career as a player-manager. However, Como president Mirwan Suwarso was unequivocal in his refusal, stating the club had "communicated our refusal directly to Inter president Marotta." Fabregas, who has frequently praised Inter's style of play under Inzaghi, ultimately remained in Lombardy.
Fabregas has never faced Inter as a player and has yet to secure a victory against them, a record he will hope to change as a manager when his Como side hosts the newly-crowned Serie A champions this weekend. The long, intertwined, and ultimately unconsummated history between the Spanish playmaker and the Italian giants adds another layer of intrigue to this weekend's fixture, a subtle reminder of a transfer that, despite several close calls, was never meant to be.
