Chelsea centre-back Mamadou Sarr is on loan in Spain and started his second successive game for Real Sociedad as they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid.
The Blues signed Sarr last summer, and he joined in January as they looked to plug their defensive vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, he did not live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea could have sent him back to France to their sister club Strasbourg, where they picked him up but opted for a more high-profile club.
The Chelsea defender gave an excellent account of himself despite the heavy defeat to the La Liga giants.
Sarr won all three of his attempted tackles and 6/8 of his duels while completing 65/69 passes and 2/4 long balls. It was a complete performance from the 21-year-old.
The Senegal international centre-half has a bright future if he can become more imposing in the air, as his reading of the game on the ground is already superb.
Chelsea sent him out to show he can play these kinds of games, and this was a ‘dominant‘ display.
Can Sarr oust the underwhelming Wesley Fofana at Chelsea?
Sarr will be eyeing a return to Chelsea this summer and could be gunning for Wesley Fofana’s place on the roster.
The Frenchman was signed for £69.5 million years ago but has not justified that level of investment. He has been one of the most underwhelming additions of the BlueCo era.
Injuries have limited him, but even when fit, he is unremarkable because his game IQ is low. It came as a shock that the Blues didn’t try to discard him this summer.
That could change next year if he continues to perform this way and if Sarr continues to impress on loan.
Chelsea and manager Xabi Alonso might decide to bin the high-earning Fofana for Sarr.