Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 10y

Xavi: Chelsea move great for Fabregas

Barcelona captain Xavi Hernandez said Cesc Fabregas appears happy after securing a transfer to Chelsea, adding: "It is great news for him."

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Fabregas completed a move worth a reported 33 million euros on Thursday and afterwards said he had enjoyed his last three years with Barca but now had "unfinished business" in the Premier League.

While the transfer was welcomed by many pundits close to the Catalan club in the Spanish press, it has also left a feeling of regret among some fans as Fabregas was never quite able to fully settle in back at the Camp Nou after he returned to his hometown club from Arsenal in summer 2011.

Xavi, his long-time colleague for club and country, told a news conference ahead of Spain's World Cup opener against Netherlands that he was happy his friend had got the move he wanted and wished him luck in the future.

"He looks happy to me," Xavi said. "It is an opportunity for him to end up at a big team. That was his idea, and now he can relax now knowing his future for the coming years. It is an important loss for Barca, for sure, but it is his future and he has made his decision. As his big friend I wish him the best and all the luck in the world."

Barca look set to fill the midfield hole left by Fabregas' departure by signing Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic from Sevilla for around 20 million euros, with promising youngster Denis Suarez likely to move to the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan outfit on a season-long loan as part of the deal.

There has also been widespread speculation over the future of Xavi himself, with the 34-year-old reported to be considering a lucrative offer to play in Qatar, and new Barca coach Luis Enrique yet to publicly confirm whether the veteran playmaker is part of his plans.

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