Chelsea: Mamadou Sarr, from light to anonymity
Captain of a Strasbourg team that was playing at full speed in the first part of the season, Mamadou Sarr was recalled from his loan this winter by Chelsea and his former coach with Alsace, Liam Rosenior. Two months later, his return to London is far from being a success.
Philemon MBALE · Author profile ·
Listen to this story
Audio version in preparation · read aloud by your browser meanwhile
Only 5 matches played this far
At Stamford Bridge, Mamadou Sarr experienced a brutal change of status by being content with the role of substitute, while he was left on 15 consecutive starts in Ligue 1 before joining the Blues in the offseason. And yet, everything was going well for the Senegalese who started his first match with Rosenior in London, during a 4-0 victory against Hull City in the FA Cup.
Then, the young 20-year-old central defender was initially aligned against Arsenal in the Premier League (1-2 defeat) before also celebrating his first start in the Champions League against PSG in the last 16 (3-0 defeat). In this match, Mamadou Sarr suffered a lot, especially against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, being at fault for the opening goal of the Parisians. As a result, he was replaced at break by his coach. Since March 17, Sarr (5 games) has lost his place in the Rosenior eleven and hasn’t played with the Blues anymore, who now play with a Fofana - Hato hinge.
Towards a new loan this summer?
If Mamadou Sarr was not able to make his mark quickly with the Blues, we can find mitigating circumstances. Having arrived at a squad as numerous and lacking in confidence as that of Chelsea during the season, settling down immediately is not easy, especially in a league as tough as the Premier League.
A month before the end of the season and in the context of Chelsea who is engaged in the race to qualify for the next Champions League, it’s hard to believe in a new experiment in central defense with the Blues. Thus, Mamadou Sarr should not regain playing time before going to the World Cup with Senegal.
However, he has two options. The first is to stay in London for the pre-season and stay there to fight for your place in the eleven next season, or join another club on loan to continue gaining experience and progressing further. In any case, the player has almost no room for maneuver, knowing that his contract runs until 2033 with the Blues. Like that of his compatriot Nicolas Jackson, who also does not know what will be done with his future.