Chelsea’s newest recruit Sarr reveals star he hopes to emulate

What Chelsea’s newest central defender Mamadou Sarr may lack in decibels, he more than makes up in the depth of his declarations, with a few lines from the softly-spoken 19-year-old Frenchman forcing us to lean in a little further than we already are.

‘When I was a kid, I had a dream,’ Sarr says as we battle to hear him over the Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s air-con units in Atlanta. ‘It was to be the best centre back in the world.

‘I want to be like Virgil van Dijk. I love Van Dijk. He’s a leader. For a defender, that’s very important. But some people tell me I play like Ibrahima Konate.’

There is nothing wrong with a smidgen self-confidence – or confiance en soi as Sarr would say in the French that he occasionally slips into our chat, testing our GCSE credentials – and Chelsea will be pleased if he can come close to resembling either Liverpool defender after adjusting to the rigours of English football.

They spent £12million to sign this polite 6ft 4in figure from their French sister club, another teenager tied down to a whopping eight-year deal. Sarr spent the last season playing under Liam Rosenior, the Englishman going on record to insist he can indeed become a world-class centre back with the right guidance.

‘I trust him, and I trust me,’ adds Sarr, a right-footer who will compete with Wesley Fofana and Co. ‘I think I anticipate well. With the ball, I can pick a good pass. Off and on the pitch, I talk a lot. It’s an important job. It’s good for me to have competition. That will help me to be a better defender.

‘He (Rosenior) was a top coach for me. He believed in me. He taught me how I can defend better, how I can help the team better, to speak a lot. Before, I didn’t speak a lot. Now, I speak more.’

Prior to signing for Strasbourg, Sarr spent six years in the Lens youth academy and then another six at Lyon, including a loan at Belgian side Daring Brussels, formerly RWD Molenbeek.

When he made the swap to Chelsea’s sister club, he will have heard rumours of it resembling a waiting room where if players perform, they are prone to finding themselves being beamed up by the mothership over at Stamford Bridge. 

Andrey Santos has also joined Chelsea for the Club World Cup in the United States after the 21-year-old Brazilian impressed enough on loan under Rosenior. 

Both Santos and Sarr are expected to debut either in Friday’s game versus Brazilian side Flamengo or the following one with Tunisian outfit ES Tunis.

But Sarr insists his old side are much more than a mere feeder club, saying: ‘I joined Strasbourg to play for Strasbourg. I knew of some interest (from Chelsea) approximately in November, December. Then in January I had an idea that it was possible. When one of the biggest clubs come to you, it is so exciting.

‘For me, I have to progress. He (Santos) is a very good guy, a very good player. Everyone knows he’s like a brother for me. We talked a lot about Chelsea last year. Now we are here and we have to work to get better.’

What did Chelsea say to him in their project pitch? ‘To progress,’ he continues. ‘To work hard, work hard, work hard. When they think you are ready to play, you can. It’s very important to me – to train very well, to speak with the coach, to speak with every player, and to be confident in what I do.’

Paris Saint-Germain are the favourites to win the Club World Cup, and they are a side that Sarr knows well after facing them home and away in Ligue 1 last season for Strasbourg, losing 4-2 at the Parc des Princes but winning 2-1 at the Stade de la Meinau before Strasbourg secured European qualification.

He sees similarities between PSG and Chelsea, not least in the average ages of their line-ups. ‘Yes, yes, yes,’ he says upon mention of the Parisians. ‘I played them twice last year. They are a very good team. Chelsea are a very good team. They are like PSG. We can compete with them. I think Chelsea can beat PSG.

‘It (the Club World Cup) is very important. Every club wants to show that they are the best team in the world. Chelsea want to be the best team in the world so we want to win.’

Some critics will say Chelsea’s youngsters cannot win trophies bigger than the Conference League, and Sarr insists that talk is hogwash: ‘It’s not true. PSG won the Champions League. Chelsea can win.’

With his help, he hopes. Before Van Dijk agreed his new contract with Liverpool in April, Chelsea were linked with nabbing the defender on a free transfer. Now they have Sarr, who is itching to show why he can be the VVD of CFC instead.