Barcelona announce Fabregas sale to Chelsea

The 27-year-old is currently in Brazil with the national squad but has put pen to paper on a deal that sees him return to England after leaving Arsenal for the Nou Camp in 2011.

He is believed to have signed a five-year contract for a fee in the region of £30million.

With Barcelona having failed to win any silverware last season and the appointment of Luis Enrique as the new head coach, Fabregas was allowed to leave Spain and he revealed that Chelsea was his preferred option from those who had made their interest known.

The midfielder said: "Firstly I would like to thank everyone at FC Barcelona where I enjoyed three wonderful years. It was my childhood club and I will always be proud and honoured that I had a chance to play for such a great team.

'I do feel that I have unfinished business in the Premier League and now is the right time to return.

"I considered all the other offers very carefully and I firmly believe that Chelsea is the best choice.

"They match my footballing ambitions with their hunger and desire to win trophies. They have an amazing squad of players and an incredible manager. I am fully committed to this team and I can't wait to start playing."