'The one I have the most contact with is Jose' - Fabregas comments will fuel Man United transfer rumours

Fabregas was singled out by the media as one of the ringleaders in a plot to undermine Mourinho in his final turbulent months at the club and was booed by Chelsea fans in the weeks after the club fired their most successful manager of all-time.

Yet it appears suggestions that Fabregas was keen to promote Mourinho's downfall at Chelsea were wide of the mark, as stated that he enjoyed one of his most memorable seasons under the guidance of the coach now in charge of Manchester United.

Former Arsenal captain Fabregas has been strongly linked with a move to be reunited with Mourinho at Old Trafford in recent months and ahead of Sunday's Premier League game between Chelsea and United, he offered up some intriguing views to the BBC.

"With Mourinho I had an incredible year in my first season – it was one of the best seasons of my career," he said, reflecting on Chelsea's 2014/15 Premier League title winning season.

"We still talk today. He is probably the manager that I have had the best feeling and connection for. Apart from Arsene Wenger (his manager at Arsenal), the one I have the most contact with is Jose."

Fabregas also gave an insight into the reasons why Chelsea's title winners lost their way in the opening months of their title defence under Mourinho's watch, as he hinted the players and not the manager were to blame.

"I still wonder myself because it was such a shame," he added. "You go to bed sometimes and you think of many things and sometimes you cannot sleep.

"Still sometimes it bothers me because I could look from the outside as a fan and think, 'These guys are not even trying'. But we just forgot to play football.

"You felt that those six months we were nowhere close to what we really were just a few months before. But it happened and I felt bad for it."