Who is Malang Sarr? Stats, strengths and weakness of new Chelsea recruit


While there was understandable excitement regarding the arrivals of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner - with Chelsea fans made to wait for a chance to see their new signings in blue - the case remained that Frank Lampard's squad was getting increasingly top heavy.

Strengthening a defence that conceded at least six more goals than any other team in the top half of the Premier League last season was the priority, and the London club have made moves in an attempt to do just that this week. Indeed, the £50m signing of former Leicester and England left-back Ben Chilwell has been quickly followed up by the acquisition of 21-year-old centre-back Malang Sarr from Nice.

While those that have arrived before - and if reports are to be believed will do so after, with Kai Havertz and Thiago Silva still expected to sign - are well known to fans of English football, it's fair to say Sarr is less so. So what can Chelsea fans expect from their latest recruit?

Well, while Sarr may be very young, he certainly has plenty of top-flight experience to his belt, and it's fair to say that Frank Lampard has been key to target players of that ilk. Signings that will lower the average age of the squad but aren't wet behind the ears, so to speak.

Indeed, of all players currently aged 21 and under, only three have made more top-flight appearances since Sarr made his debut in 2016 than the French youth international (102). It's a list topped by that man Havertz and also occupied by one of the Blues own in Christian Pulisic, with just Kylian Mbappe required to complete the set!

 

 

A centre-back by trade, like compatriot and now clubmate Kurt Zouma, Sarr is capable of covering at left-back and has done so in 23 of 88 Ligue 1 starts in his career to date. His passing out from the back is arguably the youngster's main strength, boasting an excellent 90.4 per cent accuracy last season, whilst he reads the game well too.

The defender has averaged at least two interceptions per 90 minutes in each of his four Ligue 1 campaigns, which is an impressive return for a centre-back by trade, but his game is not without fault.

 

 

Sarr is not the tallest of centre-backs and struggles to exert any dominance in the air, losing more aerial duels (16) than he won (14) across 19 appearances last season. He was dropped on occasions by Patrick Vieira last season, though it's telling that Nice failed to win the last six matches that Sarr did not start in Ligue 1, none of which were particularly daunting fixtures.

Nevertheless, a meagre WhoScored.com rating of just 6.56 was a significant drop off from the season before (6.85) for the youngster, who had drawn interest from a number of Europe's top clubs at the time. Chelsea will be keen to see their new man get back to his best quickly, but in truth, Sarr is more one for the future than the present and the club have already confirmed that the defender will spend the 2020/21 season out on loan.
 

Lampard will be hoping it's a spell that Sarr can get the best from so that he is ready to make the step up and potentially fill Thiago Silva's boots in the not too distant future.

Who is Malang Sarr? Stats, strengths and weakness of new Chelsea recruit