Ray Wilkins urges Chelsea to keep hold of this midfielder

Former Chelsea midfielder Ray Wilkins insists that manager Antonio Conte must keep hold of midfielder Cesc Fabregas beyond the current campaign.

The 30-year-old has endured a tough ride in the Blues first-team this season with Conte in favour of N'Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic in the centre of the park.

In spite of this, Fabregas has managed four goals and nine assists in the Premier League this term after having started in just 10 outings.

Wilkins, who appeared for Chelsea between 1973 and 1979, has now called on Conte to keep hold of Fabregas' services with a Champions league challenge coming along next season.

"You'll be playing in the Champions League next year and you need that craft, you need that experience of someone like Cesc," he told Premier League Daily.

"It's not a money issue - he just wants to play. For Chelsea to progress to the latter stages of competitions next year, they're going to need the guile and craft I feel only he possesses at Chelsea. You can't let him go."

Fabregas has been linked with moves to AC Milan and Marseille in recent weeks, but it is suggested that the World Cup winner could turn their advances in order to stay put in west London.

The former Arsenal man has two years left on his current contract which he signed while arriving from Barcelona in the summer of 2014.