Cesc Fabregas has stayed coy on talk of a late move for a new striker as Como prepare to open their Serie A campaign away at Udinese, insisting the club won’t let speculation disrupt their focus.
With quotes via Tuttomercatoweb, the Como coach used his pre-match press conference to frame the season as a fresh start for a club stepping into unfamiliar territory.
“It’s been a nice progression, but in the end survival is survival. This year we start from zero. Zero games, zero points. This is a very special season, we’re playing in three competitions, something we’ve never done before. We’ll be playing every three days. There are so many unknowns. The Champions League is a gift, but Serie A and the Coppa Italia are very important.”
He was similarly blunt when asked about still having business to complete with the season already under way: “Do I like the market being open with the season already started? No, but nobody likes that. We know that’s how it is, though.”
Fabregas: ‘We can’t get distracted’ by striker search
Asked directly about growing speculation over a forward, with Moise Kean among the names repeatedly linked, Fabregas refused to be drawn in on the matter.
“We can’t let ourselves get distracted by whether or not a striker arrives before Udinese.”
He pointed instead to the work already done in defence as evidence of how difficult the market can be: “A strong central defender we’ve brought in is Chalobah. It’s not easy, there are so many names out there, I know all the centre-backs from the last two years and it’s not that simple.”
On team news, Fabregas confirmed Nico Paz remains a doubt to start after a muscular issue in pre-season.
“Nico Paz could have played 45 minutes, he felt a bit of muscular fatigue but that’s normal. We didn’t want to risk it, he played as much as he needed to. Everyone is available. He could play against Udinese.”
He also praised the early form of Mattia Liberali, who snubbed a return to Milan in favour of a switch to the lake from Serie B side Catanzaro.
“I’m really happy, genuinely. Seeing him play at that level against Arsenal and Liverpool, and he’s an exceptional lad. I’m very happy.”
Fabregas made clear he expects more of the club’s younger players to follow suit as Como adapt to life in Europe: “I expect it 100%. They have to, there’s no choice. I like it because this is a season where they need to take on responsibility.”
