Malang Sarr may have played his last game in a Chelsea shirt after joining Monaco on a season-long loan with an option to buy.
The 23-year-old centre-back, who made 21 appearances for the Blues last term, snubbed a move to Chelsea’s west London rivals Fulham and had been keen to return to Ligue 1 after he arrived at Stamford Bridge from Nice two years ago.
He spent last season on loan at Porto and has found his opportunities at Chelsea limited, with Thomas Tuchel now happy for him to depart after the Blues brought in defenders Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly from Brighton and Napoli.
‘I am very happy to join AS Monaco and to be back in Ligue 1, a league in which I started and which I know well,’ Sarr told Monaco’s website.
‘I would like to thank the club for its confidence [in me]. I am now looking forward to blending in with my new surroundings and getting to know my new team-mates, with the desire to achieve a lot together.’
Monaco’s sporting director Paul Mitchell added: ‘It is a great joy for us to welcome Malang to the club.
‘His technical profile and versatility will bring new solutions to our defensive unit. At 23 years of age, Malang knows the demands of the top level, as evidenced by his stints with major European clubs such as Chelsea FC and FC Porto.
‘In our desire to give to our squad more experience of the biggest games, he has the profile we were looking for and he will be a great help to us to face the demanding schedule that we have. We welcome him!’
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s attempt to sign Cesare Casadei from Inter Milan has been hijacked by Nice, according to reports.
The French side are prepared to offer more money for Casadei, according to reports in Italy, meaning the Blues may miss out on their long-term target.
Chelsea have held extensive talks to sign the 19-year-old this summer and two offers have already been rejected by Inter.
Casadei is yet to make his senior debut for Inter but the midfielder is widely regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in Italy.
Chelsea are back in Premier League action when they host London rivals Tottenham on Sunday.
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