In a week of high-profile signings and rumours, Chelsea secured former Nice defender Malang Sarr on a free transfer.
Who is Malang Sarr?
The 21-year-old centre back has represented France at age-group levels and Lampard sees him as one for the future. The manager revealed the centre back will go out on loan to gain more experience and improve his game before he is afforded a run in the Blues first team.
Sarr left hometown club Nice when his contract expired in the French off-season and this week agreed a five-year deal with Chelsea. The defender racked up more than 100 appearances at the Ligue 1 club since he made his senior debut aged just 17.
Why did Chelsea sign Malang Sarr?
Sarr has caught Chelsea’s eye not only for his defensive skills but he has shown himself to have a keen eye for diagonal cross-field balls and line-breaking passes.
He is noted for being aggressive, sometimes to a fault although he has demonstrated an ability to read the game very well making him a versatile defender.
One for Chelsea’s future
Chelsea have made it clear that Sarr will go out on loan immediately but they have not revealed which club he will be headed to at this time.
“The opportunity to sign Malang was one we could not miss,” Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia told the club’s website.
“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.”
Malang Sarr part of a spree
Sarr joins Chelsea during a big recruitment drive that has seen Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva arrive in London.
The reinforcement is such that Chelsea will be expected to challenge Manchester City and Liverpool for the Premier League title.
Blues showing ambition
Lampard saw the team to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League last term securing Champions League football for the upcoming season but finished the campaign with a wimper and losing the FA Cup final to fierce rivals Arsenal will have left a bitter taste in their mouths.
The current transfer window is the second Chelsea could take having served a two-window ban after Fifa found them guilty of a serious and systemic breach of the rules regarding their dealings with overseas players under the age of 18. The club appealed the decision, but the ruling was upheld and the club pressed ahead with the personnel at their disposal.
