Real Sociedad are on the verge of signing Chelsea‘s Mamadou Sarr in the last week of the summer window.
The move is at an advanced stage as the centre-back has already made a trip to Spain.
Journalist Julen Fernández took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a video of Sarr arriving in San Sebastian.
He states the Chelsea player is set to carry out medical tests with the La Liga side.
Chelsea reach agreement with La Real
Xabi Alonso’s side have allowed the 20-year-old to travel after reaching an agreement with Real Sociedad.
That’s according to AS, who state the San Sebastian club are signing the defender on loan without a purchase clause.
The local reporters, who captured Mamadou Sarr’s arrival, asked whether he was happy to start the season with the Spanish club.
Responding to that in English, he said: “[I am] very happy.”
The France-born Senegal international will undergo La Real medical tests at Policlínica Donostia in the next few hours.
If there are no complications in these examinations, the Chelsea man will be La Real’s first signing of this window.
Loan move beneficial for all parties
Chelsea signed Mamadou Sarr from RC Strasbourg in June 2025 and utilised him at the Club World Cup last summer. Two months later, the defender returned to the Ligue 1 side on a season-long loan.
He played 18 matches for the French club and 16 were under Liam Rosenior. In January, the manager moved to Stamford Bridge, and a month later, Chelsea recalled the defender.
The decision didn’t go well as Sarr ended up playing 294 minutes from six matches for the Blues. That didn’t stop him from attracting Al-Hilal’s interest recently.
Xabi Alonso’s side refusing to include a purchase option indicates he may have a long-term future in London, where he has a contract until 2033.
The temporary move to Real Sociedad can allow him to enjoy regular game time. La Real get a defender without spending huge amounts and Sarr finds a club where he can feature regularly.
He needs regular minutes to continue his development, which in turn can help Chelsea in the long run.
⚽️🇸🇳 Mamadou Sarr ya está en San Sebastián para convertirse en el primer refuerzo de la #RealSociedad
🏥Se dirige a la policlínica para pasar el pertinente reconocimiento médico pic.twitter.com/ab7DiibccQ
— Julen Fernández (@julenfer_unav) August 27, 2026
