Chelsea loan army: Keep, loan or sell? Malang Sarr (Part 12)
In Part 11 of this series, I broke down Baba Rahman’s career at Chelsea and discussed what his future in football looks like. For those who haven’t read the introductory piece to this series, a different player will be the subject of a new article every day. I began with goalkeepers and am currently in the process of working my way up the pitch, with each position group being sorted in order by the way in which they appear on the club’s website.
As I move on with the loan army series, I continue the deep dive into the defensive loanees with Malang Sarr. Despite being a one-club man until 2020, Sarr is well-known amongst the Chelsea faithful because he joined as a part of the Blues’ £250 million summer spending spree. Aside from the high profile move and performance against Juventus in this year’s Champions League, not much is known about Sarr’s career.
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What does Malang Sarr’s Chelsea career look like?
Sarr is one of the rare cases in this series of a player who did not play for the Blues’ academy sides. In fact, Sarr hasn’t put on a Chelsea shirt aside from the moment he took his official club photo. Therefore, let’s start from the beginning and work up to the present day.
The centerback was born in Nice, France, where he began his football career. Sarr joined Ligue 1’s OGC Nice at the age of five and spent 12 years with the club’s academy. He made his senior debut at the age of 17—on August 14, 2016—against Rennes. It was a memorable night for the teenager as he found himself on the end of a free kick from Jean-Michael Seri, an attempt he buried to give his side the win. The goal made Sarr the second youngest Ligue 1 player ever to score on his debut.
Despite the heroics early on, Sarr didn’t sign his first professional deal until November of that same year. He went on to make 32 appearances before season’s end, helping his local club achieve a third-place finish in Ligue 1. His stellar performances over the next few seasons saw him land at No. 5 on CIES’ list of most promising world footballers under 20 years old. Sarr went on to appear in 29, 38 and 20 matches respectively over the course of his remaining years in Nice. He reached the 100-game mark for his professional career on the opening day of the 2019/20 season, a remarkable feat for a 21-year-old.
For reasons unknown, Nice then let Sarr’s contract expire, making him a free agent. Chelsea quickly pounced on the opportunity and signed the defender on a free transfer in the summer of 2020. The Blues announced upon his signing that Sarr would spend the following season on loan.
One of Portugal’s largest clubs—FC Porto—was thrilled to take him on temporarily. While he has struggled for appearances in Sergio Conceicao’s side, Sarr has played in some important matches for the Dragoes. He has 19 appearances overall, six of which have come in the Champions League. There have been rumors recently that the young defender has been relegated mainly to Porto’s ‘B’ side. Even if this is the case, it’s been an important loan for Sarr nonetheless. Champions League experience is invaluable to Blues loanees, regardless of how they get it.
This begs the question: what does Chelsea do with Sarr this summer?
Verdict: Keep or loan
Sarr’s situation is similar to that of Marc Guehi. The 22-year-old is an insanely talented footballer who is clearly headed to the top of the European game, it’s just a matter of whether or not there’s room for him in the Chelsea side in the near future. Sarr is well-positioned in the sense that he is flexible to position and tactics. The Frenchman has played as both a left back and a centerback in a back three and back four. This will be music to Thomas Tuchel’s ears come the summer. If Sarr does not earn a spot in the Blues’ first team, he’s undoubtedly going to secure a loan to another impressive club. Perhaps a move within England would be best for his long-term future at Chelsea, seeing as he doesn’t have any experience with the country’s physical style.
Next. Chelsea loan army: Keep, loan or sell? Baba Rahman (Part 11). dark
Remember to check back with The Pride of London each and every day as I dive into the largely uncharted world of Chelsea’s famous loan army. Part 13’s subject is defender Fikayo Tomori.