Real Madrid Transfer News: Cesc Fabregas Reveals He Almost Joined Blancos

Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas has revealed that he came very close to signing for Real Madrid, saying he even discussed terms at some point with the La Liga giants.

Speaking to Marca's Jose Felix Diaz, the former Barcelona man said the sage went on for several years. When asked about Los Blancos' interest, he said: “Well, there was contact with different presidents over the space of several years, but no deal was ever struck. We discussed terms, but nothing final was ever agreed. That decisive step was never taken.”

Fabregas was a member of Barcelona's famed youth academy before he joined Arsenal in 2003. He returned to Catalonia in 2011 and won the La Liga title in the 2012-13 season, but he never found the individual success he found in England. In 2014, he returned to London, joining Chelsea and immediately winning the Premier League title.

The 2015-16 campaign hasn't been kind on the Blues or the Spain international, but judging by his performances for La Roja, his poor Premier League form may not be his own fault, via WhoScored.com:

It's hard to imagine the 28-year-old in the iconic white kit of Real Madrid, given his history with Barcelona. Like Gerard Pique, Fabregas left the Catalans at an early age in search of more opportunities with the senior side, and both returned to their boyhood club when they had the chance.

The rivalry between Real and Barcelona is one of the fiercest in Spain, and it's rare to see players ply their trade for both clubs during the course of their careers. In the past, legends like Luis Figo became public enemy No. 1 for making such a move, and there are few players of this generation to have done the same.

Fabregas has shown himself not to care too much about previous allegiances, however. Arsenal fans were furious when he signed for cross-town rivals Chelsea, and they've given him a hostile reception at the Emirates Stadium ever since.

The abuse got so bad that Gunners manager Arsene Wenger asked his fans to respect the Spaniard and everything he did in the Arsenal shirt, via the Daily Mail's Riath Al-Samarrai.

I want every player to be respected, and Cesc Fabregas when he comes to the Emirates on Sunday, (I want him) to be respected like he deserves.

The regret I have is that he wanted to leave here. This club and myself had a very positive influence on Cesc’s life, so I would be a bit uncomfortable to have to justify today why he is not here.

The rivalry between Arsenal and Chelsea isn't as hostile as the one Real and Barcelona enjoy. The latter has its roots in politics and Spanish history, dating back to the Spanish civil war and representing Catalonia's ongoing battle with the Spanish government for independence, per Graham Ruthven of Sports on Earth.

But players have crossed the divide before, even at times when fans of both clubs were even more aggressive toward the opposing players. The footage of Figo trying to take a corner kick while being pelted with bottles and even a pig's head is but one example:

It's unclear whether Fabregas discussed a possible move while he was with Arsenal or Barcelona, although one has to assume it's the former. One of the main reasons Fabregas left Arsenal was to have a bigger role with the Spanish national team―he could have been talking to Real before the Blaugrana stepped in.

Regardless, these comments will likely not sit well with the Barcelona faithful, who welcomed Fabregas with open arms when he first returned from his stint in England.

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