Who is Chelsea’s defensive target Nice’s Malang Sarr?

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Chelsea continue to look to add youth and depth to their squad, and Sky Sports report that defender Malang Sarr could be the next target. The Frenchman is attracting interest from all over Europe and could be a name to keep an eye out for in the years to come.

Who is he?

18-year-old centre back Sarr is a highly rated youngster who seems destined for big things in the game. Capped by France under-21s for the first time this year, he is also capable of playing at left back as he did on occasion in his debut season for Nice.

Where has he been?

Sarr has been with Nice since the age of five. In 2015 he made his debut for the reserve team, racking up 12 appearances. In 2016 he made his first appearance for the first team and rapidly became a regular, making 27 appearances in the Ligue Un campaign. Now, he has a contract until 2021 with his boyhood club.

What’s his style of play?

The centre-back is a ball playing defender who prefers to be in possession, rather than powering through strikers. More of a John Stones than a John Terry, Sarr is a capable defender who has earned praise for his intelligence.

Unlike Stones, the Frenchman rarely dives into tackles and avoids playing long balls over the top, instead looking to drive the team forward with short passes into midfield and out wide.

How would he fit in at Stamford Bridge?

It is far from a sure thing that Chelsea could pull off a deal for the youngster, particularly with Real Madrid and Barcelona also interested in him.

Given his versatility and ability on the ball, it seems likely that Sarr would play on the left hand side of a back three. He may be the ma to provide a long term replacement for the ageing Gary Cahill.