Malang Sarr, feeling despondent, has been relegated to training with Chelsea’s Under-21 team by Mauricio Pochettino.
His inner circle is reportedly ‘worried’ about him following the collapse of a January transfer to Le Havre.
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Sarr initially joined Chelsea in 2020 from Nice on a free transfer, but was immediately loaned to Porto, where he only made eight league appearances during the 2020/21 season.
Despite failed loan attempts in the summer of 2021, Sarr opted to remain at Chelsea and compete for his spot. He eventually made his Premier League debut in a 1-0 win against Brentford, filling in for Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger.
However, Sarr’s ongoing struggle to secure regular playing time led to the former France Under-21 international embarking on a season-long loan to Monaco last season. The Ligue 1 club had the option to make the deal permanent for £12.6 million.
Despite this opportunity, Monaco chose not to exercise the option due to a muscle injury that required surgery, prematurely ending Sarr’s season. Consequently, he was excluded from Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the United States.
One of Sarr’s most challenging moments occurred last August when newly appointed Pochettino seemed baffled by his mention during a press conference ahead of Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over Luton.
Reportedly, according to The Athletic, Malang Sarr’s close friends have observed him at his lowest following the collapse of a potential move to Le Havre on the final day of the January transfer window.
The report indicates that Sarr no longer occupies a locker in the first-team building alongside Pochettino’s squad. Instead, he changes with the club’s youth players in the academy complex.
Since being overlooked for last summer’s USA tour, Sarr has been relegated to training with Chelsea’s U21s, where he has remained since.
Despite his challenging circumstances, it is claimed that Sarr has maintained professionalism during his time in west London. He even endeavors to conceal his emotions from his teammates.
A source told The Athletic: ‘I have never seen him as low as this. This is the first time I have seen him like this. He tries to change his mental state, but it is hard when you are not playing.
‘He is not in the first-team dressing room anymore, he is with the kids in the other building. He feels outside the group. He tries to hide his feelings, but I know him, what he is really feeling.
‘He wants to play football and works hard for that. He is completely fit. But at the moment, he does not know where he is going to play. Friends and family go stay with him occasionally. It is important for him to have people around him.
‘He loved playing under Tuchel. But some of the closest friends he made, like N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount, have left. He goes to train because it is his job but I know he finds it very hard because any footballer who knows they are not going to play matches will find it difficult.’
Following the collapse of Malang Sarr’s intended transfer to Le Havre last month, the Ligue 1 club accused Chelsea of reneging on a prior agreement and disregarding their attempts at communication. These allegations are vehemently denied by the Premier League club.
‘What Chelsea did to Malang Sarr was disgraceful,’ Le Havre director Mathieu Bodmer said.
‘With just a few details still to be worked out, they did a U-turn. They gave the youngster the go-ahead to travel, and a financial agreement had been reached for the 18 months of his remaining contract at Chelsea.
‘However, on several occasions, they went back on their agreement, and then gave it again. And once the player had agreed to make a big effort, to come to us on a tiny salary, just to play football, they blocked him.
‘Everything was OK, the contract had even been submitted to the league (LFP), but we never received Chelsea’s cancellation. In the end, they just told him he wouldn’t be leaving and they didn’t even answer the phone anymore.’
