Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger are both out of contract at Chelsea next summer, and their stalling negotiations could hand an unlikely fellow defender a golden opportunity to take their place
On the face of it, Chelsea’s failure to tie down the futures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger is a major negative for all connected with the club.
The defensive duo, 25 and 28 respectively, will find themselves as free agents next summer when their contracts expire.
Despite the efforts of the Blues hierarchy in the boardroom, Christensen and Rudiger are yet to be tied down and have been linked with the likes of Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich as next destinations.
It leaves manager Thomas Tuchel potentially facing a defensive crisis at the end of this season, with veteran defender Thiago Silva’s deal also up.
But the trio’s impending departures would leave ample room for a replacement and that man could well be Malang Sarr.
Having spent last term on loan at Porto after signing on a free transfer from hometown club Nice in the summer of 2020 while Frank Lampard was in charge, the 22-year-old ‘returned’ to Stamford Bridge in pre-season and impressed Tuchel.
That was amid links of a move for Sevilla’s Jules Kounde, a switch that may still materialise if Roman Abramovich and co stump up the cash.
Sarr has since featured three times this campaign, notably shining on his first Premier League start as Chelsea beat Brentford 1-0 away from home.
The left-footed Frenchman made the most tackles in the match and won five duels, with an 86% passing accuracy to boot.
It followed a steady debut at home to Aston Villa in the League Cup, going on to start in the next round on Wednesday against Southampton, a penalty shoot-out win.
Sarr is now in line to feature throughout the Blues’ busy winter period, when Tuchel’s squad – competing in four tournaments – will be stretched and contracts negotiations with Christensen and Rudiger are set to reach a boiling point.
The uncertainty surrounding his fellow defenders’ futures could hand Sarr a golden opportunity to show himself as capable of stepping up.
If he proves such, his manager’s worries would to be eased and those in charge at Stamford Bridge would likely be less concerned about having to splash the cash on either new contracts or a signing.
It was previously been reported that Christensen’s party had agreed a salary of £140,000-a-week but new claims suggest discussions regarding the Dane’s future have stalled.
Rudiger, on the other hand, is another precarious case.
The German is admired by Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann, who refused to rule out a summer swoop for the soon-to-be free agent – at least as it stands.
Rudiger himself recently told SID News: “For me, this will now be the most important decision of my professional career.
“I have never spoken to any other club than Chelsea.”
So, with those talks ongoing, Sarr is a sure bet for Tuchel, hoping to succeed either one of the aforementioned pair or Silva, who has been “helpful” for the ex-Ligue 1 prodigy during his time in west London.
“He [Silva] really wants me to improve and he is showing me things every day,” Sarr stated. “About defending he knows everything!
“It is respect to him because he is 37 and he plays like he is 25.”
The former Nice starlet also spoke to his club’s website during the summer and outlined that Tuchel’s side are a “perfect match” for his ambition.
“I’m here to help and to let the team stay at the highest level, trying to bring all the good energy and my work to the team,” Sarr affirmed.
“I know the club is ambitious and I am ambitious as well, so it’s a perfect match.
“It’s a pleasure to be here, starting to work, we are working very hard and very well so I’m happy. I have enjoyed being here.
“I have spoken a little bit with the manager, he knows I speak French so we have been talking.
“I have a good feeling here; everybody is very good with me. I can feel everybody is ambitious here.”
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