Chelsea starlet Malang Sarr has been offered to Serie A giants Napoli following a lack of opportunities at Stamford Bridge.
According to journalist Rudy Galetti on Twitter, Serie A giants Napoli have been offered the chance to sign Chelsea defender Malang Sarr.
The youngster joined the Blues from Ligue 1 side Nice in 2020 on a Bosman transfer. He was sent out on loan to FC Porto in the 2020/21 campaign, where he found game-time hard to come by. Despite being kept on at Stamford Bridge this time around, the centre-back has struggled to become a mainstay in Thomas Tuchel’s first XI.
The 22-year-old has made only five appearances for the Blues this season, predominantly in the Carabao Cup. With Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva and Treboh Chalobah all ahead of him, Sarr’s pathway to the first team is fraught with challenges.
With opportunities at a premium, the player’s agent appears to have offered his services to both AC Milan and Napoli. Both sides were early trendsetters in the Serie A title race. They have fallen off in recent weeks and have handed the initiative to defending champions Inter Milan.
A major reason for their recent downfall has been an inability to keep clean sheets. With the January transfer window coming up, there is every reason to believe that the right additions can get their season back on track.
With Kalidou Koulibaly and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa set to depart for next month’s African Cup of Nations, Gli Azzurri will need reinforcements to come in and step in for their absent stars. While Sarr might not be the first choice for Napoli, he represents an option should they choose to go that way. A loan deal looks the likeliest of options, and it remains to be seen if Napoli will throw their dice to land the young Frenchman.
For their part, Chelsea will do well to keep hold of the youngster until next summer. With injuries and Covid-19 threatening to wreak havoc to Thomas Tuchel’s plans for the season, they must retain strength in depth throughout the current campaign.
Thiago Silva injured himself during the Blues’ game against Aston Villa on Boxing Day and the German tactician could do with the insurance cover that Sarr adds to his squad. The 22-year-old stepped in earlier this season to put in a heroic rearguard action away to Brentford, a game that saw Chelsea come away with all three points.
While it is debatable if Sarr will establish himself as a first XI star for Chelsea in the future, he could yet have a role to play for the Blues this season. Whether Tuchel & co. look at it the same way or are willing to risk parting with the defender remains to be seen.
