Chelsea
Chelsea defender Mamadou Sarr has insisted he doesn’t regret joining the club, or abandoning Strasbourg in January to do so.
Sarr has been speaking to D Sports about the switch this week. He insists he’s delighted with his move to Stamford Bridge.
Starter to the bench
The 20-year-old became the latest player to swap Strasbourg for Chelsea when he made the move at the end of the January transfer window.
He had been on loan at the French club after joining Chelsea in a €14m deal from their sister club in June last year.
He was a key player under Liam Rosenior and Gary O’Neil and very much part of Chelsea’s long-term plans. But the decision was made to take him back to Stamford Bridge early amid a defensive crisis at the club.
That meant swapping guaranteed minutes in France for a backup role at Chelsea. To date, he’s started one Premier League game and spent five on the bench as an unused substitute. He, though, is not concerned about that.
“I have no regrets about leaving Strasbourg, because I’ve arrived at a big club where you have to earn your place to play,” he said.
Chelsea struggles
The defender’s lack of concern comes despite Chelsea finding themselves in the middle of a disappointing run of form under Rosenior.
Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Everton was their fourth straight loss in all competitions, including an 8-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain over two legs in the Champions League. They’ve also failed to score in their last three games while conceding 12 in their last four.
After a strong start under Rosenior in January, the Blues have struggled of late, and the pressure is mounting on the former Strasbourg coach.
There is growing dissatisfaction among the fanbase, and Sarr thinks the international break may have come at the right time.
*“I think the break will do us good, and when we resume training, we’ll clear our heads,*” he added.
“Every footballer goes through moments like that (against PSG). The important thing is to pick yourself up and move on.”
Future doubts
The question is whether Chelsea can pick themselves up in the remainder of the season. An FA Cup clash with Port Vale after the international break at least offers some reprieve, at least on paper.
But with games against Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool to come, the race for a Champions League spot is not going to be an easy one.
🇵🇹 EXCLUSIVE: Maxi Araújo
⏩ Tottenham and Chelsea in contact
➡️ Source informs @UllalIBT
➡️ Further Premier League interest also presenthttps://t.co/K17lRpjlUG #thfc #cfc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) March 22, 2026