Xabi Alonso hasn’t even officially started his job yet, and he’s already pumping the brakes on Chelsea’s transfer machine. The newly appointed manager has requested that the club hold off on any decisions regarding young centre-back Mamadou Sarr until he can personally evaluate the player during pre-season.
What’s happening with Sarr
Mamadou Sarr, a 20-year-old Senegal international, signed for Chelsea on June 9, 2025, on an eight-year contract. His journey since then has been the typical Chelsea young player odyssey. He made his debut during the Club World Cup in the summer of 2025, then was shipped out on loan to Strasbourg for first-team minutes.
That loan didn’t last the full season. Chelsea recalled Sarr in February 2026, and he got his first start for the senior team in an FA Cup match against Hull City on February 13, 2026.
RB Leipzig has reportedly expressed interest in Sarr as of June 2026. But Alonso’s intervention has put everything on pause.
