Sporting director Carlalberto Ludi is working intensively to close a deal with Chelsea for Chalobah, with the fee understood to be in the region of €30m plus bonuses — enough to bridge the gap with a Chelsea valuation that had been sitting closer to €35m.
The other player under discussion, Brazilian full-back Couto, is currently being held back by Borussia Dortmund while the German club assesses the extent of an injury to Julian Ryerson; Dortmund are wary of being left short on the right side of defence if they let the former Manchester City man leave for Lake Como.
Speaking to Sportitalia after his side's 3-2 win over Famalicao in the third-place playoff of the Como Cup, Fabregas was coy but couldn't resist a smile when asked about the incoming deals.
"Of course I know everything, every step, every minute and every moment. I won't say anything," he said, laughing, "but we're working well, it's clear where we want to strengthen the squad and we want to do it properly, step by step. Whoever arrives, arrives. We'll talk about it afterwards, now isn't the moment."
Behind the deflection, there is clearly something significant brewing, with contacts between Como and Chelsea intensifying in recent hours and a similar urgency attached to getting the Couto deal over the line.
On the pitch, Fabregas also had encouraging words for 19-year-old Mattia Liberali after his second start of pre-season.
"Mattia's position is mobile, like Caqueret and Da Cunha. We're trying to get him adapted as quickly as possible — today he played further inside," the coach said of the young attacking midfielder, who continues to catch the eye during his early integration into the first team.
On the subject of Alvaro Morata's future at the club, amid ongoing speculation over a possible departure, Fabregas was measured but pointed.
"Whether people like it or not, Alvaro isn't my brother or my friend. I'm a coach who has to make decisions. Alberto Moreno and Sergi Roberto are friends, hopefully for life — Alberto Moreno's son stayed at my house for a week, my son and his are friends," he said, drawing a clear distinction between personal relationships and football judgments.
Pressed further on how much his role shapes decisions around a figure like Morata, Fabregas added: "Mine is the job of a coach. I have to do what's best for the club. He's someone who helps the younger generation a lot, he always tries to be open and say what he feels.
"He's an example, a person with a huge heart. Right now, everyone starts from zero. What they did last year doesn't count for anything. He has to show he wants to be here and grow. We want to reach an elite standard, but we know our context. We know what was needed last year — if he'd done less than last year there would have been other judgements made. We know where we want to go and what to do, public opinion isn't important to us. But the level has to be right here for him to continue with us."
The match itself, played at the Sinigaglia to decide third place in the second edition of the Como Cup, swung back and forth in an eventful first half. Koutsias opened the scoring for Famalicao from the penalty spot after Ramon conceded a foul in the sixth minute, but Douvikas levelled almost immediately with a well-taken individual goal before Diao put Como ahead shortly after.
Just past the half-hour mark, a driving run from Assane won a second penalty for the hosts, which Douvikas converted to complete his brace and make it 3-1. Fabregas made wholesale changes at the break, bringing on Morata, Milla and Rispoli among others to build match fitness, and although Famalicao pulled a goal back to 3-2 in the 79th minute after goalkeeper Jangeal Mathis was left exposed by a defensive mix-up around Kempf, second-half introductions Gabrielloni and Cassano helped see out the win and secure the bronze medal.