Towards the end of the January window, the likes of Newcastle United, Everton, Leicester City and few other clubs showed interest in signing Malang Sarr.
However, no deal took shape because Chelsea were not interested in letting the defender leave, even on a loan deal. Thomas Tuchel was keen on having the player at his disposal, despite him struggling for minutes in the first half of the season.
Sarr has made 11 appearances in all competitions this season and nine of them came since the start of December.
The Blues took him on a free transfer in the summer of 2020 and he was not included in Frank Lampard’s plans. Therefore, he was allowed to spend last season on loan at FC Porto.
L’Equipe now state that despite Lampard not favouring the centre-back’s arrival in 2020, his signing was a ‘personal bet of Marina Granovskaia’, the director of the west London club, who was ‘seduced’ by Sarr’s potential and the potential bargain deal.
“During the last off-season, we tried to lend him again, but the proposals we received from France or Germany did not suit us,” a member of his entourage was quoted as saying by L’Equipe.
“We therefore decided to leave him at Chelsea, thinking that he would have opportunities because of the problems linked to Covid but also because Tuchel gives young people a chance if they have the right state of mind.”
Although Lampard didn’t favour Sarr’s signing for Chelsea in 2020, it is clear that Granovskaia’s decision to bet on the Frenchman is now paying off for the Champions League winners.
