CHELSEA’S forgotten man Malang Sarr has friends “very worried” about him after his January transfer to Le Havre collapsed.
The 25-year-old who joined the Blues in 2020 is still on his £100k-a-week salary but has been made to train with the U21s side.
Sarr made a move to Stamford Bridge over three and a half years ago as a free agent from Nice but was immediately sent on loan to Porto.
But after failed loan spell at the Portuguese side and injury causing a premature end to a spell on loan at Monaco the Frenchman has found himself back at Stamford Bridge.
And according to The Athletic close friends of Sarr have never seen the defender so down after a potential move to Le Havre fell through on the final day of the January transfer window.
They said: “I have never seen him as low as this. This is the first time I have seen him like this. He tries to change his mental state.
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“But it is hard when you are not playing. He is not in the first-team dressing room anymore, he is with the kids in the other building.
“He feels outside the group. He tries to hide his feelings, but I know him, what he is really feeling.”
After being snubbed for a spot in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for their pre-season tour in the USA Sarr has since lost his locker in the first team building and now trains with the U21 team.
After the centre-back’s move to Le Havre collapsed the Ligue 1 side accused Chelsea’s handling of the deal as “disgraceful” after going back on their agreement to let him go as a free agent – which the club denies.
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Le Havre director Mathieu Bodmer said: “What Chelsea did to Malang Sarr was disgraceful.
“With just a few details still to be worked out, they did a U-turn. They gave the youngster the go-ahead to travel.
“And a financial agreement had been reached for the 18 months of his remaining contract at Chelsea.
“However, on several occasions, they went back on their agreement, and then gave it again.
“And once the player had agreed to make a big effort, to come to us on a tiny salary, just to play football, they blocked him.
“Everything was OK, the contract had even been submitted to the league (LFP), but we never received Chelsea’s cancellation.
“In the end, they just told him he wouldn’t be leaving and they didn’t even answer the phone anymore.”
The Athletic claimed Sarr was told a deal was met where he would receive more than 50 per cent of his salary owed until June 30, 2025.
But sources close to Sarr say Chelsea then changed their mind and offered a lower percentage – which he still agreed to.
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And after travelling to France for the medical the Blues called the deal off minutes before saying he would not be paid a penny.
Sarr is tied to a contract at Chelsea until the summer of 2025 on a weekly wage of £100k.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
