Cesc Fabregas rejects ‘friends’ claim as Alvaro Morata lands in Como | OneFootball

Cesc Fabregas has insisted there will no be ‘friendly favours’ for Alvaro Morata after joining Como on loan.

Spain captain Morata has finally completed the switch to Fabregas’ side after untangling himself from AC Milan and Galatasaray.

The 32-year-old has endured a frustrating 12 months following a superb 2024 as he led Luis de la Fuente’s Spain team to the UEFA Euro 2024 title.

Following that tournament success in Germany, Morata opted to leave Atletico Madrid to join AC Milan ahead of the 2024/25 season, a decision he later admitted regret over making.

After struggling for prominence at the San Siro, he was loaned out to Galatasaray mid-season, and won the Turkish title in Istanbul.

However, Galatasaray were not counting on him for the 2025/26 campaign, after pulling off a move to sign Victor Osimhen from Napoli.

AC Milan and Como had agreed a deal to share his wages for the 2025/26 season with Morata looking to keep his World Cup dream alive for next summer.

The situation was complicated by the terms of his loan in Turkey, which ran up until the end of 2025, and Okan Buruk’s side reportedly demanded €8m to release him.

As the saga unfolded, Morata agreed to take a major cut to escape, with Galatasaray left satisfied by the final deal.

Fabregas drops ‘friendly’ Como warning to Morata

Morata is now settled but it will be friends reunited with his old teammate Fabregas.

“I have to talk to Alvaro. First, he trained with Galatasaray, then not so much; he did his own thing, but at home,” as per Diario AS.

“Are we friends? No. When he left Chelsea, we didn’t talk much, we just exchanged pleasantries. Even though he was my friend then, he’s not today. We have a great relationship, we shared two years at Chelsea and with the national team.

“His great humility and dedication to work brings a lot to his teammates. I’m not worried about our relationship. He wants to do well. He left more than 60% of his salary in Turkey, that says a lot about his mentality, and what he’s going to do.”