Manchester City are poised to launch a shock £20 million offer for Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas in the January transfer window.

That’s according to Phil Cadden of the Sun on Sunday, who suggested City boss Pep Guardiola is keen to acquire the former Barcelona man. It’s noted in the report that after four successive games without a win, the City manager is worried about a lack of creativity in the middle of the park.

Fabregas has found minutes tough to come by at Stamford Bridge this season, with new manager Antonio Conte preferring more robust options in his engine room.

As such, you sense the 29-year-old would jump at the chance to move to the Etihad Stadium and work alongside Guardiola for a second time; the manager had Fabregas as part of his squad for his final season in charge of Barcelona in 2011-12.

If City were to land Fabregas, they would be acquiring one of the most creative players the Premier League has seen in recent years. These numbers from Squawka Football sum up just how influential the Spain international has been during his stint at Chelsea and beforehand with Arsenal:

However, Conte seems to favour graft over guile in midfield, with Fabregas starting just a solitary Premier League game in 2016-17. Given his age and profile, the Spaniard likely won’t be happy with being sat on the bench, and consequently, you sense any approach from another elite club would be considered.

A move to City would bring about the same sorts of problems, though. In Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan, Guardiola has a wealth of talent to call upon in the attacking-midfield positions. On recent form, Fabregas doesn’t have enough to usurp any of those mercurial talents.

New Deal for Nathaniel Chalobah

According to Neil Moxley of the Sunday Mirror, Chelsea are to open talks over a new contract for young midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah.

It’s stated the 21-year-old has impressed Conte since his recent promotion to the first-team squad. Previously, Chalobah has been on loan away from Stamford Bridge six times, although after a selection of strong recent cameos, he finally looks to have forced his way into contention with the Blues.

Chalobah’s terms expire in the summer of 2018, and according to Moxley, the club is keen to tie down the brightest prospects from its academy setup. With brilliant technical ability, a powerful somatotype and unwavering determination, the midfielder has the potential to go far in the game.

He showed as much with a fine display off the bench recently, setting up Victor Moses with a wonderful backheel in Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Leicester City.

Per football writer Seb Stafford-Bloor, the youngster seems delighted to be involved:

Getting into the Blues midfield on a regular basis will be tough. Conte can call upon N’Golo Kante, Nemanja Matic, Oscar and Fabregas in this area of the field, meaning Chalobah still may have to bide his time.

It’s encouraging to see the likes of Chalobah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ola Aina getting their opportunities for the Blues, though. Given the success of the youth setup, many supporters feel these progressions are overdue, and a long-term contract for Chalobah would be a tangible show of faith in this process.