Cesc Fabregas: Jose Mourinho told me what I needed to hear to join Chelsea

Chelsea summer signing Cesc Fabregas has claimed Jose Mourinho convinced him to join the Blues this summer because he told him exactly "what he wanted to hear".

Earlier in the summer the Spanish midfielder decided to return to the Premier League after after failing to get established at Barcelona following his move from Arsenal.

Fabregas was then expected to come back to North London as the Gunners had the chance to activate a buy-back clause in his contract.

However, after Arsene Wenger rejected re-signing him stating he had Mesut Ozil in the playmaker role, Mourinho took advantage of the situation to lure him to Stamford Bridge.

"Of course when Jose Mourinho came in, it was a big chance for me," he said, according to Standard Sport. "I had a really good time at Barcelona but I wanted to feel the way I'm feeling now — someone who can really give something positive to the team and feel that I am important.

"This is a big thing for me and when I spoke to the boss [about the transfer], he made me feel all those things and told me what I wanted to hear, what I needed to hear."

Fabregas has since played a crucial role in Chelsea's impressive start to the campaign, forging a solid partnership with Nemanja Matic in the midfield while providing 14 assists and three goals.

Nevertheless and even though the Blues top the Premier League with three points ahead of Manchester City, the Spaniard is cautious about taking the title for granted as he believes the race is even tougher than when he left Arsenal in 2011.

"The League has improved since I left in 2011, especially defensively and also in terms of the stability that teams try to have — the coaches and teams are more afraid to drop points now," he said.

"I feel that for the top teams it is a bit more difficult to attack than it was before. Spain technically is a great league and maybe it's still a little more tactical than England but that has improved a lot here.

"That doesn't mean in Spain it is more difficult to beat the opponent because in England — especially with the fans, passion and commitment — when we play away it is always difficult; all the teams want to attack."