Cesc Fabregas issues transfer ultimatum to Como board after a stunning win against Napoli

Como produced one of the most significant results in their recent history by defeating Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Goals from Martin Baturina and Anastasios Douvikas secured the three points for the visitors, but Fabregas was quick to temper the celebrations with a firm demand for new signings before the September 1 deadline. The Spanish manager is well aware of the toll that playing every three days can take on a squad, especially with the added pressure of the Coppa Italia and European fixtures. The club is currently in active negotiations with Fiorentina over a potential move for Moise Kean.

Fabregas was blunt about the necessity of strengthening his forward line. "Obviously, I'm expecting a striker, Douvikas can’t play in Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League, and we can't play three competitions with just one striker," Fabregas told DAZN. We suffered a lot with (Alvaro) Morata last year, for months he was out injured. You remember we played with a false nine many times; playing every three days at this level isn’t easy."

While the focus remains on incoming deals, Fabregas took the time to highlight the impact of 31-year-old midfielder Luis Milla. The Spaniard, who joined the club in the summer, has quickly become a vital component of the engine room, starting his second consecutive game in the victory over Napoli. Fabregas believes that Milla has been unfairly overlooked by the wider footballing world, particularly in his native Spain, where the spotlight often remains fixed on younger stars like Pedri or Rodri.

"Milla is very underrated in Spain, but it’s normal. There are so many great players that sometimes we tend to forget the others, who are not Pedri or Rodri," Fabregas said. "I’ve been following for a long time. He has had a steadily rising career, and now it’s his time to play in the Champions League. You know we try to bring young players here, but I’m happy for him and many others."

The victory in Naples represented a personal milestone for Fabregas, who had struggled against Massimiliano Allegri’s tactics during the Italian's time at AC Milan last season. The Spaniard admitted that those difficult encounters served as a vital learning experience for his tactical development.

"It has great value. I learned so much from the most recent game against Milan. Today, we were able to read the game well. We did very well in the first half; in the second half, we understood we were playing against some champions, but we held up. The quality of the players they subbed on made me think they had more substitutions available. It’s like being in a sauna now," Fabregas noted.

The victory at the Maradona has inevitably raised expectations among the Como faithful. Fabregas, however, was quick to dampen such talk, insisting that the process must be gradual. Fabregas turned his attention immediately to the next challenge, refusing to get carried away by the headlines.

"We have a very important match against Genoa left. There will be many games where they are better than you, you have to accept that: they have an 80% chance of winning the match, we have a 20% chance," he warned.