Mourinho thrilled with Fabregas signing

Mourinho has backed the 27-year-old Spain international to prove himself for a second time in the Premier League after he sealed a return to England last week from Barcelona for a fee believed to be in the region of £30 million.

The midfielder arrived at Chelsea after Arsenal turned down the chance to bring their former captain back to the Emirates Stadium and will be hoping to repay the faith shown in him by Mourinho.

"He is the kind of player we need," Mourinho told ITV. "Not just for his qualities as a player but also his competitive personality.

"He is a player in the best years of his career – 26, 27, 28. He knows England well, he knows the Premiership well, so he will not need time to adapt."

"I think he is the kind of player who will come and train for a couple of weeks and be ready to prove himself."

Fabregas scored eight goals in 36 La Liga games for Barcelona last season and is currently at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.