Cesc Fabregas hit back at a social media account that nefariously put him at the centre of a debate over Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer.
The England internationals have regularly been the subject of fierce debates between supporters of their respective clubs, owing to their similar playing style, age and position.
Saka and Palmer are the last two recipients of the PFA Young Player of the Year award and interim England boss Lee Carsley has had a hard trying to accommodate his pair of talented right wingers.
It's in this context that Fabregas, who played for both of their respective clubs - Arsenal and Chelsea - was quoted by an account on X as saying that Palmer would struggle to start for most top-six teams in the top-flight.
'I assure you that Palmer cannot get a starting spot at any EPL top 6 except maybe Manchester united and Tottenham. Saka walks in every team on the Universe. For me this debate is irrelevant' Yes sir. Debate closed!' The World Cup winner was reported to have said.
In fact, the Como manager had lauded the talents of the Chelsea youngster in an interview with the BBC.
Replying to the erroneous post that had circulated on X, Fabregas said: 'The danger of social media is people really believe anything they read. No need to compare players, England are lucky to have 2 amazing talents, just enjoy them! #Fake!'
Last week, Palmer was named England's Player of the Year for 2023-24 despite earning just nine caps for his country. The 22-year-old scored 31 goals in 54 matches in all competitions last term, and he has been hailed by some as the best player currently in the Premier League.
His red-hot heroics led to him being recognised at international level with the forward making his Three Lions debut against Malta last November.
The prestigious Player of the Year gong was voted for by the public and Palmer emerged as the winner ahead of Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, the Real Madrid midfielder finishing second and the Arsenal ace third.
Saka had emerged victorious in the past two seasons while the likes of captain Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham have also won the award over the years.