'He tried to sign me at Tottenham' - USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino called out by Chelsea outcast Malang Sarr for forgetting he played for Blues

Sarr joined Chelsea in 2020 from Nice as a highly-rated and versatile defender. At the Ligue 1 club, the Frenchman had impressed enough to be considered for a berth on France's national squad, however, things would not work out in the end. Sarr found himself on the outside looking in at Chelsea after a number of loans and ended his almost anonymous career at Stamford Bridge earlier this year as he joined Lens.

Even though Sarr only left Chelsea for Lens this summer, he hadn't played for the Blues since the last day of the 2021–2022 campaign and wasn't even permitted to train with the squad while current USMNT boss Pochettino served as head coach. When asked about Sarr's future in the summer of 2023, the Argentine oddly didn't even seem to know who he was, even though the manager had previously tried to sign him for Tottenham Hotspur, as disclosed by Sarr to L'Equipe.

Speaking to L'Equipe about the incident, Sarr said: "I took it badly. It shouldn’t have happened. He knew me. He even tried to sign me at Tottenham. I didn’t ask for an explanation."

The Frenchman and Chelsea decided to mutually terminate the contract that bound them together as Sarr joined Ligue 1 side Lens on a free transfer. However, the 25-year-old has only made four appearances this season and will likely not see the field again when Lens take on Stade Reims on Friday, November 29.