"?AC Milan are reportedly lining up a move for Cesc Fabregas as their takeover by Chinese investors edges ever closer towards completion.
I Rossoneri are plotting a swoop for the Chelsea playmaker as they begin to make plans about becoming a force to be reckoned with in world football once again and, according to "?Corriere Dello Sport, want to make Fabregas the first of many big-name signings to start that process off.
Fabregas has found it difficult to cement a regular starting place in Antonio Conte's first choice 11 so far this term, with the Spain international's future the subject of much speculation throughout the first half of the campaign.
Milan, who are in the midst of being taken over by the Sino Europe Sports group for "?around £350m, are rumoured to be monitoring Fabregas' situation at Stamford Bridge and, providing the buyout is completed before the March 3 deadline set by current owner Silvio Berlusconi, could offer a sizable sum that Chelsea would find hard to turn down for the 29-year-old.
The San Siro-based side, who are currently fifth in Serie A, are also said to be planning raids for Lazio duo Balde Keita and Stefan De Vrij, as well as Real Madrid pair Isco and Mateo Kovacic.
Fabregas has managed to wriggle his way into the starting lineup in recent weeks thanks to suspensions and injuries taking hold of Chelsea's first-team squad - a run which has included three starts in the past five matches - but only four of his 12 appearances in all competitions in 2016/17 have come from the start in Premier League games.
The arrival of N'Golo Kante from Leicester City in the summer, coupled with the impressive form of Nemanja Matic in centre midfield, had restricted Fabregas to cameo appearances from the bench during the early months of the season, and the rumour mills were thrown into overdrive as the summer transfer window reached its end as Fabregas' future became front and centre of many of the media's gossip columns.
Conte has gone out of his way to praise Fabregas' displays in the past few matches, presumably in a bid to keep the ex-Arsenal and Barcelona star happy at Chelsea, but it remains to be seen if the Italian can hold on to him with first-team football at a premium for Fabregas with the Londoners.
Fabregas has made over 100 appearances since he completed a July 2014 move from Barcelona for a fee of around £30m.
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