Chelsea FINALLY set to cut ties with forgotten man as Ligue 1 club close in on transfer

According to FootMercato'sSanti Aouna, a deal for Sarr is in place between Chelsea and Lens. A medical is set to go ahead by Tuesday night ahead of the centre-back signing a two-year contract until the summer of 2026.

Sarr joined Chelsea from hometown club Nice in the summer of 2020 as a highly-rated 21-year-old, but he quickly joined Porto on loan. Further loans were proposed for 2021-22, although Sarr wound up staying at Stamford Bridge and made 21 appearances. He hasn't played for the club since May 2022 though, and, after a move to Le Havre fell through at the start of 2024, Sarr was described by a source to be at his lowest.

Sarr is joining a Lens team looking to recpature their magical 2022-23 season. Having fallen away from their late-1990s heyday, Lens finished second in Ligue 1 to qualify for the Champions League. But they slipped back to seventh last season and will now compete in the Conference League play-off round.

Every player sold by Chelsea means budget to reinvest into building a squad for new boss Enzo Maresca. The Italian is yet to take charge of a game, but that will change when the Blues face Wrexham at Levi's Stadium near San Francisco on July 25.