Cesc Fabregas is confident his former club Arsenal can lift trophies this season.

Fabregas left the club last summer for Barcelona, but admitted to following his former team's fortunes closely.

"Arsene Wenger is amazing and I'm sure he will prove it again this season," Fabregas told The Sun. "He always finds the best young talent in Europe and has the courage to bring them in and give them their chance.

"That is his special talent, the way he works with a player to build their confidence and encourage them to play, to perform at their best.

"That's why I'm confident that Arsenal will again be up there challenging.

"I watch them every weekend because Arsenal still mean so much to me."

Fabregas has found it a little hard to consistently find form this season at the Nou Camp, with the former Arsenal captain voicing his frustrations at being substituted for every game. That led to him being linked with a return to Arsenal, but Fabregas believes his future lies with the Spanish giants.

The 25-year-old said he was looking forward to fighting for his place, after putting in a good performance for Barcelona against Getafe.

"It was a privilege for me to spend eight years at such a magnificent club," he said.

"But now is a new chapter at Barcelona and I said when I signed here that it was going to be the most exciting and difficult challenge of my life.

"I knew I was coming to compete for a place against the best players in the world but I like big challenges.

"If I didn't I would have stayed at Arsenal where I was the captain, where I played every game and where I was treated so well.

"I have a big heart, a strong character and I have the courage to carry on competing for my place."