Former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas will become manager of Italian side FC Como this summer, having already coached at the club.
The former midfielder, who departed Arsenal in 2011, was briefly interim manager of Como last season, before moving into an assistant role whilst completing his UEFA coaching badges.
Fabregas will take the head coach role once his badges are confirmed, and lead Como into Serie A following their promotion this season.
Fabregas is the latest in a long line of former Arsene Wenger proteges to move into management, with Robin van Persie taking the Heerenveen job this summer, whilst Sylvinho is managing Albania at Euro 2024.
The Spaniard is now closing in on his first signing as a manager, as a player Wenger once tried to sign is now likely to line up under Fabregas.
Cesc Fabregas to sign Andrea Belotti at FC Como
Fabregas is set to sign striker Italian Andrea Belotti from Roma for around £3.8m, and the former prodigal talent will now link up with the World Cup winner as they aim to keep Como in Serie A.
“Como have reached an agreement with AS Roma on €4.5m fee for Andrea Belotti, just waiting to get the final green light from the player. Belotti, not in Roma plans as Como are confident to make it happen,” Fabrizio Romano posted on X.
Arsene Wenger tried to sign Andrea Belotti at Arsenal
Belotti was a top talent when he broke through at Torino in 2016, and by January 2017, he had attracted the interest of top clubs across Europe.
Arsenal were looking for a striker to add to their ranks, and Wenger was keen on Belotti, so keen in fact, that he seemingly made a club record offer to sign him in the January window.
“We received and refused a €65m (£56m) offer from Arsenal for Andrea Belotti, but it does not reflect the value of the player,” then-Torino director Gianluca Petrachi stated in January 2017.
Belotti then never quite lived up to his hype as he moved around Serie A, and at 28, he will now hope that a fresh start under Fabregas can help him achieve a performance level close to what he may have done had he joined Wenger’s Arsenal all those years ago.
Arsenal went on to sign Alexandre Lacazette in the summer following their failed move for Belotti, with the Frenchman delivering mixed results over a tough five-year spell at the club.