Premier League giants Chelsea have officially confirmed the capture of former OGC Nice defender Malang Sarr on a free transfer.
Chelsea have officially released a statement on various social media platforms along with their website to announce the arrival of Malang Sarr. The French defender chose to run down his contract at OGC Nice and tested the Bosman agency before ending up in the home of the Premier League giants.
Chelsea had healthy competition when it came to Malang Sarr. The French defender was also on the radar of Arsenal and Barcelona, with both the clubs in search of defensive reinforcements on the cheap. But, the last couple of days saw swift movement from the Blues, who have now clinched Sarr’s signature.
Malang Sarr has signed a five-year deal with Chelsea but will not see action in the first-team anytime soon, with the player set to go out on loan for the 2020-21 season. Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia welcomed the French defender and had this to say, as per the official website.
Welcome to Chelsea, Malang Sarr! ✍️
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 27, 2020
“The opportunity to sign Malang was one we could not miss. He is a tremendous prospect and we will be monitoring him closely during his loan period, hoping he will soon be back at Chelsea. We are very happy to welcome him to the club today.”
The former OGC Nice defender will be an asset for Chelsea in the future, especially under Frank Lampard. The current manager prefers to play out from the back and Sarr has quite a bit of experience doing just that at Nice, which has aided his development in areas that are required to play efficiently in that playstyle.
Chelsea have done tremendous business this season so far. The Blues have brought in the likes of Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Ben Chilwell, with Sarr becoming their fourth signing. Thiago Silva is also reportedly close to confirming his move to Chelsea on a free transfer.
Ideally, Chelsea would want Sarr to do an Andreas Christensen. The towering Dane spent two seasons at Borussia Monchengladbach before returning to Chelsea and becoming a first-team regular. Perhaps, the aim is to nurture Sarr as a long-term replacement for Thiago Silva when the time comes.
