Tabloids link David Luiz, Fàbregas with unlikely returns to Portugal, Spain

While it would make some sense for Chelsea veterans David Luiz and Cesc Fàbregas to leave the club, the rumors making the rounds this weekend are probably not their ticket out.

According to Portuguese tabloid Correio da Manhã (via Sport Witness), David Luiz is keen on returning to Benfica, from where he was plucked by Chelsea back in January 2011. The 31-year-old is apparently so keen on this that he’s even “spoken to the Benfica board himself”. Alas, his old club have long moved on from the curly haired one, and, more to the point, he would not fit their transfer m.o. of signing younger, cheaper, up-and-coming stars (such as David Luiz himself back in 2007 from EC Vitória, then of the Portuguese third division). Despite his lack of playing time this season (due mostly to long-term knee and ankle injuries), Chelsea would surely not let him go just for pocket change even if he only has one year left on his contract.

The potential financial burden is the reason why Cesc Fàbregas’s rumored switch back to La Liga is also unlikely, to say the least. El Gol Digital, which sounds like just the latest in the line of the Don Balon and Diario Gol random-rumor-generators, claims that not only are Valencia looking to make a play but Villarreal as well. Considering that Cesc is one of the highest paid players not just at Chelsea but in the entire Premier League, and factoring in just how settled he is in London with his family (strongly rejecting any previous rumors from Serie A), and also how he continues to play a crucial role for Chelsea, we can safely say that no La Liga team outside of Barcelona and Real Madrid could make a serious play for the 30-year-old. And that’s probably not happening. In fact, it’s probably more likely that we sign Cesc to a contract extension, as he could still be quite useful in his role as super-sub/game-changer off the bench like he was for most of Conte’s title-winning season.

Whatever happens next at Chelsea, Fàbregas seems ready for the challenge, just as he was under Mourinho and Conte as well.