Why Chelsea May Change Their Transfer Stance On Young Defender Amid Interest From Saudi Club | OneFootball

Chelsea defender Mamadou Sarr has attracted interest from several clubs, both on loan and permanently, including Saudi club Al-Hilal.

Last month, Xabi Alonso made it clear that he wants “four to five” centre-backs in his Chelsea squad for the 2026/27 season.

The initial plan seemed to include the more experienced Tosin Adarabioyo in the squad and send the younger Sarr and Aaron Anselmino on loan this summer.

He has since attracted interest from several clubs, including Aston Villa, who consider him a potential replacement for Ezra Konsa.

Tosin is also one of the players understood to have been training away from Alonso’s main first-team group, further indicating a change of plans at Chelsea, now said to be open to selling the former Fulham defender.

It is worth noting that Tosin was also left out of Chelsea's final pre-season game against Real Sociedad, which ended in a 3-1 win last weekend.

As a result, Anselmino is looking increasingly likely to stay at Chelsea, having previously been available for loan.

This does not change the situation significantly for Sarr, who remains available for loan. But it remains unclear whether Chelsea could be tempted to sell him permanently if they receive a satisfactory offer.

According to the BBC, some clubs, including Spanish side Real Sociedad, are considering a loan move for the 20-year-old. Others, such as Saudi side Al-Hilal, are interested in a potential permanent deal.

Sarr currently surplus to requirements at Chelsea

Sarr joined Chelsea last summer from Strasbourg on a deal worth £12 million, before returning to the French club on loan at the start of last season.

In early February, however, Chelsea decided to recall Sarr from his loan to bolster the club’s defence mid-season. Meanwhile, Anselmino was sent on loan to Strasbourg to fill the void, after being recalled from his loan at Borussia Dortmund a week earlier.

Sarr only featured six times for Chelsea in the second half of the season.

The Senegal international is still very young, and after signing an eight-year contract last summer, tying him to the club until 2033, Chelsea should be under no pressure to offload him permanently.

On the other hand, it would not be a surprise if Chelsea decide to cash in on the centre-back for a good fee, particularly with loan deals being finalised for Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi, instead of permanent transfers.

Chelsea also already have plenty of other young centre-backs in their squad, such as Anselmino, Josh Acheampong, and even Jorrel Hato, who can play both as a left-back and centrally.

18-year-old Tayo Subuloye has also been assigned a squad number recently, indicating the club’s plan to include him in the first-team plans in the future.