Young Chelsea defender aims to become next Van Dijk in Premier League

Mamadou Sarr, the young defender who recently joined Chelsea, has expressed his ambition to become a defender of Virgil van Dijk’s caliber in the Premier League.

The Blues acquired the 19-year-old from Strasbourg for a €14 million transfer fee — a deal that was reached during the January transfer window.

Despite only appearing in 40 senior matches, with 27 of them for Strasbourg last season, Sarr shows great potential as a future center-back.

“I want to be like Virgil van Dijk. I love Van Dijk. Some people tell me I play like Ibrahima Konaté. As a defender, it’s very important to be a leader. Both on and off the pitch, I communicate a lot,” Sarr stated.

“I think I anticipate well and can deliver good passes. Since childhood, I’ve dreamed of becoming the best center-back in the world,” he added.

The France U-20 international is yet to make his debut after being an unused substitute in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Los Angeles FC in the Club World Cup.