Chelsea eyes a recall for a top defender. The potential move hinges on another loanee's surprising refusal to join Strasbourg.
With just a few days remaining of the winter transfer window, things are beginning to heat up for Chelsea.
Earlier on this week, it was confirmed that Raheem Sterling had left the club by mutual agreement, three and a half years into his career in West London. Furthermore, Axel Disasi has been heavily linked with a loan spell to Saturday's opponents, West Ham United.
Now, it appears as if there has been another development. As per Fabrice Hawkins, Chelsea would like to recall defender Mamadou Sarr from his loan at Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg.
According to the French journalist's report, the club were considering sending Aaron Anselmino - who has just returned from a loan spell at Borussia Dortmund - to the French outfit, but he does not want to go there for now.
It is implied that Anselmino not wanting to go to Strasbourg has put the recall for Sarr on hold, as Gary O'Neil's side will need a replacement for the promising Senegal international.
It does make you wonder why Anselmino was recalled in the first place, if the intention was to try and send him to Strasbourg. And why did the club not ask him first? So as it stands, Chelsea have annoyed both Dortmund and the player for basically no reason at all.
Nevertheless, this is certainly one to keep an eye on. At the moment, you'd have to say Sarr is ahead in his development compared to his Argentine counterpart. He has played more games on loan this season, and was part of Senegal's successful AFCON triumph earlier on this month, playing no small role himself.
So, you can see why Chelsea see him as a player to be part of the first team over Anselmino, but you can totally see why the latter is frustrated. These players are human beings. To just assume he would be happy to go out on loan to another league, in another country, with another language is incredibly naive and stupid.
Let's see what happens. It also wouldn't be good for Sarr's development if he came back to sit on the bench. Fortunately, given his body of work for club and country this season, plus having played under Liam Rosenior already, there is a fair chance he could come in and play significant minutes.
Central defence has been a clear weak point for The Blues this season. Whether it be Sarr, Anselmino or an external solution, they clearly need another player in that position for the second half of the season.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!