Malang Sarr, whom Chelsea signed two seasons ago as a free agent after his contract had expired with OGC Nice, has returned to France to join AS Monaco on loan for the season. The Monegasque club also holds the obligation to sign the Frenchman on a permanent deal next season for a fee worth in the region of 12 million euros, should he make a certain number of appearances across the 2022/23 season.
“I am very happy to join AS Monaco and to be back in Ligue 1 Uber Eats, a league in which I started and which I know well. I would like to thank the club for its confidence,”
Sarr said upon completing the switch.
The 23-year-old joined Chelsea in the summer of 2020 for free and spent the subsequent campaign on loan at FC Porto, where he made eight league appearances for the first and the second team each. He returned to Chelsea the next year and was used as a utility player by manager Thomas Tuchel across several positions on the left side of his defence.
Meanwhile, Sarr’s countryman Issa Diop has switched from one London side to another. West Ham have sold the towering centre-back to rivals Fulham for a 15 million pound fee plus add-ons.
Diop, 25, has signed a five-year contract with the Cottagers until the end of the 2026/27 season, becoming their seventh signing of the season.
“I’m very happy, very happy to join Fulham. I hope it’s going to be a very good chapter of my career. It’s all official now, so I’m happy. I just want to train with the team now, and let’s get to work,”
he said after joining Marco Silva’s side.
Diop joined Fulham from Toulouse in the summer of 2018 and, over the next four seasons, made 121 appearances and scored eight goals.
