Not just Liam Delap: Chelsea closed in on another departure during win over Fulham
Moments before kick-off against Fulham on Monday night, reports suggested Nottingham Forest and Chelsea had found a breakthrough in talks for Liam Delap. But he wasn’t the only one.
Over the weekend, it looked as if Chelsea’s chances of selling Delap had taken a hit. Forest were said to have tabled a £70m bid for Brentford’s Igor Thiago, and such a move would have left Delap in limbo.
CHELSEA WIN: Xabi Alonso gets the win, but who impressed you most? 📈
Instead, within an hour of kick-off, it was widely reported that Chelsea and Forest had agreed a move for Delap – as per TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook. Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t picked in Xabi Alonso’s matchday squad.
But Delap was not the only one. Reports emerged during the win over Fulham that another player is now close to a departure, with one of Alonso’s old sides set to be the recipient of a Chelsea defender on loan.
Mamadou Sarr set for loan move to Spain this week
It has been widely reported that Mamadou Sarr is set to go out on loan. Chelsea are expected to enter the new season with Levi Colwill, Maxence Lacroix, Josh Acheampong and Wesley Fofana as options.
Behind them, Tosin Adarabioyo or Aaron Anselmino could provide cover. It leaves the likes of Axel Disasi and Mamadou Sarr needing a new home. Trevoh Chalobah and Benoit Badiashile have moved to Italy.
Disasi is closing in on a move to Palace and now, according to French outlet Foot Mercato, Chelsea and Sociedad have agreed a dry loan for Sarr. Alonso’s old side will get Sarr on loan without an option to buy.
How many players do Chelsea have out on loan currently?
Sarr and Disasi’s imminent loan departures will take the current total of loanees to a whopping 17 players. They range from Ishe Samuels-Smith at Notts County, Reggie Walsh at Wigan, and two at Strasbourg.
Interestingly, clubs are allowed to loan six players to foreign clubs. Chelsea have used four of those slots, including Filip Jorgensen. Sarr’s move to Sociedad will see him take up another international slot.
Did Rosenior make a mistake handing Sarr his first Champions League start in THIS scenario?
Players who have trained for Chelsea for three years between the ages of 15 and 21, and are currently 21 or younger, are exempt. Sarr and Derry have not completed the three years and count as two of the four.
As things stand, Chelsea have used four slots, including Sarr, with Benoit Badiashile, Jorgensen and Derry out on loan. Genesis Antwi does not count, having trained for three years and remaining under 21.
The same goes for Harrison Murray-Campbell, who is on loan at Dutch side KV Kortrijk. Those remaining two slots, after Sarr, are expected to be filled with Mykhailo Mudryk a possible candidate for Strasbourg.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
