Yeah I also heard about Fabregas being lined up as a replacement for Xabi Alonso initially but it seem Erik Ten Hag surpassed him in the rankings. However in terms of comparison Erik Ten Hag is a better coach than Fabregas better in experience and achievements too. ErikTen Hag is a good coach I will say this over and over that he is. The only aspect where I felt he lacked was his choices of players he signed and the ones he sold because they were also part of the reason he failed at Manchester United and stained his reputation, maybe Leverkesun could be his chance at redemption.
Xavi Hernandez was also linked to the job. I don't know if his wage was too much or the board didn't buy into his ideology, but in comparison among the three coaches, ETH stands out in terms of managerial experience and achievements, and that could be the reason he was hired. However, if I were to pick among the three coaches, I'd have chosen Fabregas. He's doing a fantastic job with Como and I think he'd have done well with Leverkusen. Except he wasn't interested.
It seems like Xavi still wants to rest after being fired by Barcelona, and maybe he is waiting for a better offer from another club. Personally, I expect Leverkusen management to make Fabregas the successor to Xabi Alonso, but reportedly Fabregas prefers to stay with Como in Serie A. In terms of achievements and experience, Ten Hag is certainly better than Xavi or Fabregas, although his managerial career was considered bad when he was still the manager of Man United. However, Ten Hag has officially become the manager of Leverkusen, now the Dutch manager can start rebuilding his reputation. Many people doubt him at this time, but I think Ten Hag deserves a chance to prove that his touch is not finished.