It was significantly lost in Chelsea’s busy transfer window of 2020 that the Blues signed Malang Sarr from Nice on a free.
It was not that outlandish, given that he was swiftly sent out on a season-long loan to Porto for minutes when it was clear he was firmly out of Frank Lampard’s plans for the upcoming year.
When that deal was announced almost two years ago, it always looked like a low-risk piece of business from Chelsea, even if, in recent months, the player has experienced some public lows for Thomas Tuchel. Sarr, as a young defender, was either going to grow into a hidden gem good enough to become a first-team player bought on the cheap, or he would make the club a profit.
As of 2022, it is now clear it will be the latter of those two potential outcomes, and Todd Boehly cannot pass up this opportunity.
According to The Evening Standard, Tuchel has reportedly blocked Fulham’s initial approach for Sarr due to the obvious need for new defenders at Stamford Bridge, but that should not prevent Boehly from capitalising on an open goal.
In a summer marred again by an old struggle to sell unwanted fringe players, the fact that a Premier League club has come forward with an offer is a gift for several reasons.
Sarr was harshly exposed in the remaining weeks of last season, most harshly in the disastrous 4-2 defeat at home to Arsenal, where he surprisingly started and was run ragged by Bukayo Saka. He then was at fault on the final day against Watford for the already-relegated side’s unlikely equaliser before Ross Barkley scored a winner in added time.
In pre-season, he again looked out of place against Arsenal in Orlando, further cementing the general belief his ceiling will never be high enough to become anything more than an understudy for Tuchel. Sarr had some nice moments last season, particularly against Spurs in January, where he played a competent role at left-back when Chelsea were severely short of options due to injury.
Tuchel appeared to be getting something out of a player who appeared destined to be sent out on loan before eventually being sold. But there is little use now keeping him on for much longer, particularly when a young product like Levi Colwill is emerging and can easily take his spot within the squad to gain minutes this season for his development.
Chelsea’s inability to trim their bloated squad in recent years has been a persistent frustration of supporters, hurting the club’s plans to improve the quality with new additions.
The cultural effect of selling players like Sarr cannot be undervalued in an effort to truly refresh the club’s approach to transfers. Boehly nor Tuchel can afford to look a gift horse in the mouth, take the money and run.
