Transfer News: Chelsea defender Malang Sarr wanted by AC Milan in January
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness (h/t Mirror), AC Milan have made Chelsea centre-back Malang Sarr their priority signing in January.
With defender Simon Kjaer set to miss the rest of the season through injury, Milan are currently lacking cover at the back and have targeted Sarr as the one to fill in this defensive gap.
Although the Rossoneri had been eyeing Lille’s Sven Botman as Kjaer’s replacement, it now seems unlikely that they will land the Dutchman this transfer window. And as a result, they have started to look elsewhere.
With a defender still high on their priority list in January, Milan’s technical director Paolo Maldini has identified Sarr as an alternative and will be keen to land the Chelsea star.
Sarr meanwhile, has only made one start for Chelsea in the Premier League this season, keeping a clean sheet in the Blues’ 1-0 win against Brentford back in October. Manager Thomas Tuchel has preferred to use his senior defenders in the league, relegating Sarr to appearances in cup competitions.
The Frenchman has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, and it remains to be seen if he is interested in a move away from London in a bid to gain more first-team minutes. He is yet to win a senior cap for France and it is unlikely he ever achieves that by just warming the bench at Stamford Bridge.
Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta are ageing while Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen’s future looks dicey as of now. In such a situation, we could require Sarr’s services to a greater extent next season and losing him would surely damage our depth at the back if we don’t bring in a replacement.
The 22-year-old is clearly talented, prompting European giants like AC Milan to enquire about the defender’s availability. With the Italian club looking for defensive cover due to Kjaer’s injury, Sarr may earn more minutes over there and could partner up with ex-Blues star Fikayo Tomori.
There is clearly a line of communication between us and the Milan-based giants as we sold Olivier Giroud and Tomori to them just last summer.
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Sarr, in such a situation, may have two options: to stay and fight for his place at Stamford Bridge or be tempted to take his talents abroad and shine with another European heavyweight. A move away from London would certainly be a loss for us, missing out on seeing the young talent fulfil his true potential and establishing himself in our backline for years to come.