Chelsea transfer news: 'Premier League is the best league in the world' - Cesc Fabregas reacts to Blues links

Cesc Fabregas has recently responded to fresh speculation suggesting a summer return to Chelsea, where he would permanently replace Liam Rosenior.

The London club's hierarchy sacked the manager just three months after his official appointment. The decision came after the side suffered five consecutive league defeats without scoring a single goal, something that had not happened since 1912.

While the manager still had more than six years left on his contract, fortunately for the Blues a special clause ultimately allowed the club to terminate the partnership without having to pay out the rest of his huge salary.

The role of interim head coach until the end of the current campaign has been taken on by previous assistant Calum McFarlane, with the permanent boss set to be appointed during the summer. Although a number of names are being linked with the vacancy at Stamford Bridge, it appears that the hierarchy are primarily focusing on former club players, who are currently the leading and logical favourites.

Italian success and Mourinho advice

The young Spanish boss is on the shortlist of potential successors, particularly after impressing everyone with his outstanding results at Italian side Como. He is currently sitting in an excellent fifth place in the table with the club and has a strong chance of securing Champions League football for next season.

While Fabregas fully acknowledges that a return to the English top flight would represent an ideal career step, he has clearly indicated that he has no intention of leaving his current job in a hurry.

"The Premier League is simply the best league in the world. I have always been clear on that. I felt it as a player and I feel it now as a manager. But Jose Mourinho once told me that I have 30 years of work ahead of me. So I can quite happily stay here for 10 years and only move to England in 12 or 15 years," he explained candidly in an interview with English newspaper The Telegraph.

Other big names on the radar

"Football is incredibly unpredictable, everything can change in a single second. Sometimes you are the best, and the next day the absolute worst. So let us simply enjoy the present moment. What we are experiencing together here is wonderful. We will see what the future ultimately brings," he added, while making clear that he will one day return to the league as a manager.

Xabi Alonso is now also considered a major candidate for the role. He signed a lucrative three-year contract at Real Madrid last summer, but was unexpectedly dismissed in January and will be fully available this summer.

The hierarchy reportedly also approached Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, who is set to leave his current post after three years. Another significant candidate for this closely watched position is, according to available information, Fulham boss Marco Silva.