Chelsea have signed ex-Nice defender Malang Sarr on a five-year deal.
The 21-year-old Frenchman became a free agent when his Nice contract expired on 30 June and Chelsea have said he will spend the 2020-21 season out on loan.
Sarr is a France Under-21 international and made 119 appearances for Nice, scoring three goals.
He is Chelsea’s fourth signing of the summer and their second in two days after the arrival of left-back Ben Chilwell, 23, from Leicester.
Earlier in the year, the Blues signed winger Hakim Ziyech, 27, from Ajax and striker Timo Werner, 24, from RB Leipzig.
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: “The opportunity to sign Malang was one we could not miss. He is a tremendous prospect and we will be monitoring him closely during his loan period.”
Sarr had played for his local side Nice since he was five years old and became a regular in their first team at the age of 17.
He had a dream start when he scored the only goal of the game on his debut in a Ligue 1 match against Rennes in August 2016.
According the the Chelsea website, Malang Sarr primarily a centre-back but also able to play on the left of a back three and at left-back (he is left-footed and six foot tall), within three years he had made 100 appearances and won the club’s young player of the year award.
He has scored in the Europa League and has experience of the Champions League qualifying rounds. For his last two seasons on the Cote d’Azur he was managed by Patrick Vieira.
With Nice opting for a patient, build-up-from-the-back style, Sarr was often involved early in their moves and his passing into the attacking third had influence.
He has a good first touch and defensively, his mobility stands out.
