Chelsea Confirm Signing of Malang Sarr on 5-Year Contract

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of free agent Malang Sarr on a five-year-deal.

The centre-back - who can also play on the left side of defence - made 19 Ligue 1 appearances for OGC Nice last season, before departing the club in June when his contract expired.

The Blues confirmed that the 21-year-old would join on a free transfer but would spend the 2020/2021 campaign out on loan in order to get more first team experience. On the signing, Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia told the club's website: "The opportunity to sign Malang was one we could not miss.

"He is a tremendous prospect and we will be monitoring him closely during his loan period, hoping he will soon be back at Chelsea. We are very happy to welcome him to the club today."

Sarr joined local side Nice at the age of six and progressed through the club's academy before making his first team aged 17 in 2016. After that he went on to make 119 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals. He has also been capped eight times for France's Under-21s.

Sarr joins the Blues just one day after they announced the signing of Ben Chilwell from Leicester. The left-back with be joined at Stamford Bridge next season by fellow new arrivals Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech.

There are likely to be even more new faces before the transfer window slams shut with Bayer Leverkusen phenom Kai Havertz and veteran defender Thiago Silva both edging closer to Chelsea moves.

Silva is expected to be announced as a Blues player in the coming days, following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain. Havertz, meanwhile, is also nearing a £90m switch from Leverkusen with personal terms already agreed.