Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has promised Cesc Fabregas a bigger role next season if he stays at the club, according to a London Evening Standard report.
The newspaper claims Conte has held a meeting with the 30-year-old central midfielder to assure him of his importance to the squad, and to address the uncertainty which surrounded his future.
It is said that the Italian boss even admitted he should have used Fabregas more regularly last season.
The report states that Conte sees the Spaniard as a key member of his squad, especially given the extra fixtures on their calendar having secured Champions League football for next term.
Fabregas was one of the Blues’ top performers last season, scoring seven goals in 37 league and cup games, as well as supplying 15 assists.
He arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2014 in a £28million move from Barcelona, and he has since made 133 appearances across all competitions for the club, which have yielded 18 goals and 46 assists.
The 30-year-old started in Chelsea’s pre-season friendly on Saturday, as he and N’Golo Kante featured together in the middle of the park as their side ran out 8-2 winners over Fulham in a behind-closed-doors game.
Fagregas has been capped by Spain on 110 occasions, but he has not played since their 2016 European Championships campaign.