Cesc Fabregas may be setting the Premier League alight but the Arsenal midfielder is not so enamoured with some of his rivals.
Fabregas, who takes on Reading tomorrow night, was asked to compare the Premier League with the Spanish League and his response will earn him a noisy reception at West Ham and Bolton.
Without doubt there is more quality in Spain,' said the Spain international before the Hammers 5-0 demolition of Derby. 'If I am watching a West Ham-Bolton game, it almost sends me to sleep. With Barcelona-Betis, I'm mesmerised by the quality of the players.'
It's not all bad for England and Arsenal though. In the interview with Spanish paper AS, Fabregas deflates the hopes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, both of whom are expected to try to lure him back to Spain this summer.
'When I first came to England I always thought I would return to Spain one day,' said the Catalan, who joined Arsenal from Barcelona's youth team at the age of 16.
'But the truth is that the longer I'm here, the more I like it. I love the city, the club, the people. Every day I get to know more people, I feel closer to the fans and to the team.
'To tell the truth, I feel I will stay here for a long time, even for my whole career.
'I don't know which league is better as I haven't had the opportunity to play in Spain.
'But I feel closer to the Premier League because it's very passionate, fast, direct and vibrant and it's the football that I like. Sometimes I watch Spanish league games and they don't do anything for me.
'But other times you watch them and you end up saying: “Henry, he's a star! Iniesta, he's a star! Xavi, he's a star!”
But the English league offers something which is difficult to replicate anywhere else.'
Fabregas also revealed that Arsene Wenger's calming words have helped him score 11 goals this season. He said: 'He told me: “You have more time than you think”.'
