Malang Sarr: Things to Know About the Versatile French Defender
By George Cannon
Malang Sarr has swapped one former Premier League great turned manager for another - after departing Patrick Vieira's OGC Nice to sign a five-year deal with Frank Lampard's Chelsea.
The 21-year-old centre-back turned down the offer of a new contract with the Ligue 1 side at the end of the 2019/20 season, and after interest was shown from a number of sides from around Europe,
Chelsea announced they had won the race for his signature - before confirming he'll be heading out on loan for a season.
So who is the French youngster that could be joined by Thiago Silva through the arrivals door at Stamford Bridge? Let's find out.
1. Debut at 17
Despite being just 21, Sarr has already racked up 119 first-team appearances for his boyhood side.
He was handed his debut at just 17 years old by now Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre back in 2016 and became the second-youngest player to score on their debut in the French top-flight.
Sarr didn't look back from there, establishing himself as a first-choice centre-back for the club he joined aged just six.
2. A Modern Day Centre-Back
Defenders are almost expected to act as deep playmakers in modern football. Starting off attacks with a wide range of passing and stepping into midfield to offer another option. Sarr is capable of doing both.
Chelsea fans will soon get used to the Frenchman's diagonal cross-field balls and line-breaking passes if he joins the west London side as the youngster is a classic example of a new age ball-playing centre-half.
Nevertheless, Sarr is equally as capable of completing his traditional defensive duties. He's aggressive in his challenges and loves a lunging tackle. A trait that could quickly endear him to a new set of supporters.
3. Versatility
Sarr is comfortable playing in a variety of positions along the back-line. Vieira has deployed him as a left-back, centre-back in a back four and left centre-back in a back three during his time in charge of Nice and Sarr has looked more than capable in each position.
The youngster has great mobility and he prefers to be a proactive defender, stepping out of the last line to apply pressure to his opponent. He's a great reader of the game as well and all of these skills and flexibility will be a huge asset to Lampard in the future.
4. Future French International
Following his impressive debut season, exploits Sarr won his first call-up to the French Under-18 squad after previously playing for the Under-16s and Under-17s. He's gone on to captain the Under-20 side and represent the Under-21s eight times, however, he is still yet to receive his senior debut.
With the likes of Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Aymeric Laporte and Clement Lenglet ahead of him it would've been easier for Sarr to represent Senegal, the country where his parents are from. They have registered an interest in his services but he's determined to be a mainstay in the defence for the country of his birth.
5. Weaknesses
Although Sarr is already a very good centre-back, there are a couple of glaring weaknesses which he needs to improve on if he is to make the switch to the Premier League a success.
The first one is his aerial ability. At just under 6'0 Sarr tends to struggle when tasked with dealing with an imposing striker. With an aerial duel win percentage of just 58.3% in Ligue 1 during the 2019/20 season, Sarr could come up short when facing some of the more traditional centre-forwards that the Premier League possesses.
He is also prone to suffering lapses of concentration. It often appears as though he’s not fully focussed and only realises the danger when it’s already there and almost too late. These are things that could be worked on though, especially given his age, and it is no surprise that his best performances at Nice often came when partnered alongside former Bayern Munich man Dante, a defender 15 years Sarr's senior.