AC Milan are reportedly refusing to give up in their pursuit of Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas, despite the player winning his way back into the Blues starting XI. Elsewhere, West Ham United are chasing a winter deal for Asmir Begovic.

The Sun (h/t ESPN's Chris Borg) reported Milan manager Vincenzo Montella remains keen on a move for Fabregas next year, although it's stated a summer deal is more likely than any winter departure.

That's due to the fact the Rossoneri's takeover is yet to be officially completed, despite president Silvio Berlusconi's claims that a Chinese consortium had bought the club all the way back in July, per BBC News.

Speculation of a 2017 exit first emerged in October, per Borg, after Fabregas lost his place under manager Antonio Conte, but the tactician was full of praise for his player after he starred in Saturday's 3-1 win over Manchester City:

That display was Fabregas' first 90-minute outing of this Premier League season so far, and many may believe the Spaniard still has a lot to offer the Blues, especially with more than two years left to run on his contract.

Chelsea full-back Cesar Azpilicueta also defended his team-mate following the Manchester City victory and emphasised his importance to the squad, per the Sun's Geoff Sweet:

To have a player like him at the club is really important. We know his qualities — he is a game changer.

The passes he did during the win against Manchester City were amazing. He provided the assist for the goal which got us back into the game — Diego scored a very good goal. Not a lot of players can do that kind of pass.

I have seen him do things like that for years, with Spain as well. The skill that he has is very special. He can see passes before anyone else and is so accurate from such a long distance. Obviously, it is a really difficult thing to do and for others to stop.

Fabregas was suggested as a potential replacement for Milan midfielder Riccardo Montolivo, who suffered another cruciate ligament injury in October, per Football Italia.

Chelsea's returning star is nevertheless a fine option for Conte to have on the bench, one he would undoubtedly like to keep around, and Squawka's Greg Johnson reiterated the former Arsenal talisman's quality:

Meanwhile, Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is said to be in the hunt for Chelsea reserve goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, who has played second fiddle to starting stopper Thibaut Courtois since arriving at Stamford Bridge last year.

The Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel reported Bilic has "lost faith" in goalkeepers Adrian and Darren Rudolph, leading to speculation of a loan move for Begovic, a deal discussed by Bleacher Report's Dean Jones last month:

Despite sitting as understudy to Courtois, former Portsmouth and Stoke City star Begovic, 29, is still seen as a force of his own in the Premier League and could inject new life into his career with a temporary switch.

However, Conte may not be keen on the thought of losing such a formidable back-up option in January, particularly after the Bosnian made 25 appearances last season as injury cover for Courtois.