Chelsea announce "scary" young defender as second summer signing after Liam Delap

Liam Delap. (Deposit Photos)

Chelsea aren’t wasting any time this summer. Hot on the heels of confirming Liam Delap’s arrival from Ipswich Town, the Blues have now made their second signing of the window – bringing in 19-year-old French centre-back Mamadou Sarr from RC Strasbourg.

Sarr, who joins for a reported £12 million, is the son of former Senegal international Pape Sarr and has signed a long-term deal at Stamford Bridge until 2033.

A highly-rated young defender, he made 28 appearances across all competitions last season and played a key role in Strasbourg’s European qualification.

The teenager reunites with Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, who was Strasbourg’s standout player last season during his loan spell. That familiarity could help Sarr settle quickly into life at Cobham.

Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior has previously raved about Sarr, even jokingly calling him “Mamadou Rosenior” due to how close they became.

“It’s scary to show such performances at 19 with such calm in the face of strong teams,” he said earlier this year. “He just has to stay humble and calm and he will be a top player for sure.”

In an interview with The Athletic, Rosenior added: “His temperament, athleticism, and ability on the ball—he’s got everything you need to be a world-class centre-half.”

Sarr’s arrival comes just days after Chelsea landed Delap for £30 million – reuniting the striker with Cole Palmer and new manager Enzo Maresca from their time together at Man City.

With two young, exciting additions through the door already, and more, including AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, set to follow, Chelsea fans have every reason to feel optimistic about the direction things are heading under Maresca.