Sarr, a Strasbourg-born adolescent defender, joins Chelsea

Chelsea has officially signed 19-year-old French defender Mamadou Sarr from Strasbourg on an eight-year contract. The transfer, valued at approximately €14 million (around $16 million), was facilitated by the shared ownership of both clubs under the BlueCo consortium, led by Todd Boehly .

Sarr, the son of former Senegal international Pape Sarr, began his youth career at RC Lens before moving to Olympique Lyonnais in 2018. He made his professional debut for Lyon in 2023 and was loaned to Belgian club RWD Molenbeek in early 2024. Later that year, he joined Strasbourg, where he made 27 Ligue 1 appearances and played a key role in helping the club qualify for the Europa Conference League .

Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior has praised Sarr’s potential, describing him as a “world-class centre-half” due to his athleticism, composure on the ball, and strong defensive attributes . Sarr has also represented France at various youth levels, including captaining the U17 team during their victorious 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship campaign .

Following his signing, Sarr is expected to join Chelsea’s squad for the upcoming Club World Cup in the United States, where they will face LAFC, Flamengo, and ES Tunis in the group stages. Reports suggest that after the tournament, Sarr may return to Strasbourg on loan to continue his development