Chelsea defender Mamadou Sarr is set to join Real Sociedad on a season-long loan
The 20-year-old defender is one of several Chelsea centre-backs who have been deemed surplus to requirements this summer.
The Senegal international was not involved in his side’s Premier League opener against Fulham on Monday and is close to completing a temporary move to the La Liga club.
Sarr joined Chelsea from Strasbourg in the summer of 2025 in a deal worth €14million (£11.9m; $14.4m). Ligue 1 club Strasbourg and Chelsea are owned by multi-club ownership group BlueCo. The defender signed an eight-year deal with the club that will see him stay at Chelsea until 2033.
He spent the first half of the 2025-26 season on loan at his former club, and after making 18 appearances where he also regularly captained the side, he was recalled by Chelsea in February 2026. Sarr has made seven first-team appearances for Chelsea.
The Athletic reported last week that Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi is close to joining Crystal Palace on loan. Josh Acheampong is also a player whose future at Chelsea remains up in the air. As reported by The Athletic, club sources and those close to the 20-year-old , speaking anonymously to protect relationships, say there are clubs monitoring his situation. Chelsea deemed him “untouchable” earlier in the window.
However, Acheampong did start Chelsea’s first game of the Premier League season.
What does this move mean for Sarr?
Analysis by Chelsea correspondent Simon Johnson
This is a much-needed move for Sarr, who will have been disappointed with how things went at Chelsea earlier this year after being recalled from a loan at Strasbourg.
The 20-year-old was thriving at the Ligue 1 club and was brought in to strengthen the squad for the second half of the campaign. Then head coach Liam Rosenior, who had been his manager at Strasbourg, talked about his talent being ‘scary’ and that he had the potential to be world-class.
However, he made just six appearances for Chelsea, including a disappointing performance in the Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the last 16. He was substituted at half-time.
This loan move will give the Senegal international a chance to get his career back on track with the possibility of regular first-team football.
Sarr is now loaned out again to a different league but has the chance to shine in La Liga as well as the Europa League. This can only help his development.
