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Chelsea are wrapping up deals in full force as Enzo Maresca is keen to have most reinforcements ready ahead of the Club World Cup in the United States. After signing Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, Estevao from Palmeiras, and Dario Essugo from Sporting Lisbon, Chelsea have wrapped up another signing in the meantime.
The Blues have snapped up French centre-back Mamadou Sarr from sister club FC Strasbourg. The young starlet has signed a bumper eight-year contract with the London outfit, just in time for the Club World Cup.
Sarr is the son of legendary Senegalese footballer Pape Brahim Sarr, who was part of the Senegal national team that reached the 2002 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals and also won the Africa Cup of Nations in the same year. He featured 54 times for Senegal and scored three goals as a midfielder.
His son will hope to carry his legacy forward now that he has joined Chelsea and will feature in the Premier League and also in the Champions League for the upcoming season.
Sarr started his youth career in Etoile Sportive de Saint Laurent Blangy Feuchy in Arras, northern France, before soon joining nearby RC Lens. Later, his family moved to southern France, and he joined Olympique Lyon at the tender age of 12.
He rose through the ranks at Lyon's youth teams and eventually broke into their senior team in the penultimate game of the 2022/23 season.
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The young centre-back was loaned out to Belgian club Molenbeek in the following campaign, where he made a few starts and also came off the bench as the club suffered relegation.
His career saw an upward curve when he joined Ligue 1 outfit FC Strasbourg, and under the tutelage of manager Liam Rosenoir, he featured in 28 games as the club secured an impressive seventh position in Ligue 1 and earned a place in the Conference League qualifiers for the upcoming season.
What did Liam Rosenoir say about Mamadou Sarr?
As per reports via BBC Sport, Chelsea have secured the 19-year-old defender for a minimal £12 million transfer fee. He is one of the most highly rated young defenders to come out of France.
He has represented Les Blues in several age-group teams and has impressed his coaches and scouts with his performances. Former Premier League defender and Strasbourg head coach Rosenoir was full of praise for the Frenchman.
"It's scary to show such performances at 19 with such calm in the face of such strong teams. He just has to stay humble and calm, and he will be a top player for sure."
In an interview with The Athletic, Rosenior added: "His temperament, his athleticism, his ability on the ball… he’s got everything you need to be a world-class centre-half."
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