Premier League: Odds rate Cesc to Chelsea a done deal

Cesc Fabregas scored 13 goals for Barcelona in 2013/14

Betfair's market on Cesc Fabregas' future suggests that a move to Jose Mourinho's Chelsea is a near certainty...

Type "Mourinho hates" into Google and the fourth auto-complete option that you will be presented with after Liverpool, Arsene Wenger and Barcelona is "Spanish players", a concept that hails from his turbulent three-year reign at Real Madrid.

Within months of his arrival, Jose Mourinho publicly sniped at popular benchwarmer Pedro Leon to provide conspiracy theorists with initial evidence, but it was fallouts with Sergio Ramos and freezing out captain Iker Casillas towards the end of his Bernabeu stay that saw it really gain traction.

When one of the standout sagas of his first season back at Chelsea was the isolation and eventual sale to Man United of Blues player of the year Juan Mata, a high-profile Spanish international colleague of Ramos and Casillas, it started to seem as if there might actually be substance.

Mourinho appears determined to disprove the thesis this summer though judging by his club's early transfer activity.

The most high-profile of the many Atletico Madrid players that they are reportedly keen on is Spain striker Diego Costa, who admittedly is Brazil-born and new enough to the national side setup to have not yet swallowed his teammates' anti-Mourinho sentiment.

Even more significantly, Chelsea have emerged as 1.171/6 favourites to sign one of the most attractive options on the market, Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas. The 27-year-old is available for 30 million, yet there has been a surprising lack of urgency in suitors announcing interest.

Arsenal have supposedly already informed Barcelona that they won't be taking up their first option, while the once overwhelming speculation surrounding a move to Man United has gone completely quiet.

It indicates that Chelsea will be able to push through a deal without much disruption, and Fabregas won't have much choice but to join despite alleged misgivings about working with Mourinho due to the lack of alternative avenues offering him a starting role in a Champions League side.

If you disagree with the consensus that Stamford Bridge will be his destination, you can lay it at 1.422/5.