Cesc Fabregas is determined to fight for his place at Chelsea and will only consider a January loan move if he can join an elite-level club.

It emerged this week that Fabregas is Chelsea’s highest-paid player. According to The Times, once the Spaniard’s bonus and image rights deals are included his five-year contract is worth £220,000 a week, putting him in a higher bracket than other leading players Eden Hazard and Diego Costa.

Despite those earnings, he continues to struggle on the pitch. The 29-year-old has suffered an injury-disrupted start to the season and is recovering from a thigh problem that has kept him out of Chelsea’s last four matches.

He has made only one Premier League start under new manager Antonio Conte, and even then he lasted just 55 minutes of the chastening 3-0 defeat against his former side, Arsenal, at the Emirates in September.

Conte is understood to be impressed by Fabregas’ attitude despite his lack of playing time but wants to free up the midfielder’s wages to strengthen his squad.

That could lead to the prospect of a January departure for Fabregas - however, Squawka reports that while Fabregas is open to a loan move, he is settled in London and is only willing to join an elite club.

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