Real Madrid have reportedly joined Chelsea and Manchester United in the race to sign Pape Matar Sarr, who is valued at €40 million by Metz.
According to Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol, the race to sign Pape Matar Sarr in the summer transfer window is heating up by the day. Real Madrid are the latest club to have emerged in pursuit of the 18-year-old, who is also being courted by Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United, with Metz demanding €40 million for his services.
Pape Matar Sarr has made quite a splash since making his first-team debut for Metz in the first half of last season, aged just 17. Since then, he has gone on to establish himself as a regular for the Ligue 1 outfit, amassing a total of 27 appearances to date while chipping in with four goals along the way.
A defensive midfielder by trade, the 18-year-old can also play as a box-to-box midfielder or in an advanced position equally adeptly. Such versatility and the sheer quality he has displayed has ended up attracting the interest of the who’s who of European football. In particular, clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United are hot on his trails.
Real Madrid are in the market for a midfielder this summer, albeit for someone who is more of a box-to-box midfielder, as they look to fill in a spot if the likes of Dani Ceballos, Martin Odegaard and Isco are offloaded while also attempting to lay down a succession plan for Luka Modric. To that end, they have been linked with several midfielders including Manchester United ace Paul Pogba.
Sarr, though, is a viable target for Real Madrid as well, considering he can play as a box-to-box midfielder while also potentially being a rotation option for Casemiro. As for Chelsea, they have three world class midfielders in their ranks, although it is important to note that N’Golo Kante is on the wrong side of 30 and has been prone to the odd injury every season lately.
Add to it the fact that the resources beyond Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic are wearing thin following Billy Gilmour’s loan move to Norwich City and it is clear why Chelsea would want to sign a midfielder. Meanwhile, Manchester United lack an out-and-out defensive midfielder apart from the ageing Nemanja Matic, although Scott McTominay is seemingly being moulded into one.
Nevertheless, in Sarr, Manchester United can sign a genuine holding midfielder, thereby making Sarr a viable target. Apart from Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid, Manchester City are also tailing the 18-year-old, who is valued at €40 million by Metz.
As for the claims by Kaveh Solhekol, Metz president Bernard Serin flew to London on Monday for talks with three Premier League chairmen over Sarr. What now remains to be seen is if Real Madrid can also kick into action to beat the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United to his services, and whether they will be willing to meet his €40 million valuation.
