Mamadou Sarr of Senegal ©Justina Aniefiok/BackpagePix
Saturday Feb 07, 2026. 13:00
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has praised Mamadou Sarr upon his arrival in London as the pair were reunited.
Sarr was recalled from his loan at Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg on the final day of the January transfer window, reuniting with new Chelsea boss Rosenior, who left Strasbourg in early January to replace Enzo Maresca at the London-based club.
The 20-year-old started 15 of Strasbourg’s 20 Ligue 1 games this season, and was a cornerstone of Rosenior’s defence at the French club, captaining the side on multiple occasions despite his young age.
After switching allegiance from France to Senegal in December, Sarr made three appearances for the Lions of Teranga at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) including playing all 120 minutes of the turbulent final against Morocco, which saw Senegal claim its second continental title.
Rosenior was full of praise for the AFCON winner ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
“Everyone knows what I think about Mamadou, I think he’s got the potential to be a world-class centre-back,” said Rosenior.
“I’m delighted he’s here and thank the sporting directors and ownership for supporting what I thought was the right decision for us and for him in his career.
“I see a growth in Mamadou, even his performance in the AFCON final. I see a growth in his physicality, I see a growth in his tactical understanding. Also, it was an area of the pitch I felt we could strengthen,” he said.
The English tactician believes that the youngster adds even more versatility to the Blues’ backline, which plays perfectly into his tactical plans.
“If you look at the flexibility of our defenders, Trevoh [Chalobah] can play all three positions, Wes [Fofana] can play on the right or centre, Mamadou can play all three, Josh [Acheampong] can play all three.
“I like versatility and flexibility, in our build-up especially. I don’t say someone is ‘just a central centre-back or right or left centre-back’, Mamadou can play every position and can do it at a very high level.”
Rosenior has made it clear that despite his taint and ability, Sarr will have to fight for his place in the Blues’ starting line-up.
By Nic Gleeson