New Chelsea defender Mamadou Sarr wants 'to be like Van Dijk' and dreams of being 'best centre-back in the world'
By Matt Jones
Published 18/06/2025 at 22:26 GMT+1
React to this story
Mamadou Sarr is yet to make his Chelsea debut, but the 19-year-old already has big dreams for what he could achieve at Stamford Bridge. The defender joined the club from Strasbourg on an eight-year contract this summer. He has now revealed that he wants to become the world's best central defender, and expressed his admiration for Liverpool's title-winning captain Virgil van Dijk.
Mamadou Sarr of Chelsea during the Press Conference ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group D match betweenChelsea FC a
Image credit: Getty Images
Chelsea's Mamadou Sarr believes he has what it takes to emulate Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk and become the world's best defender.
The 19-year-old has just made the move to Stamford Bridge from Strasbourg for a reported fee of ÂŁ11.9 million.
He is a France U20 international and has put pen-to-paper on an eight-year contract.
And over that period of time, he hopes he can emulate one of his heroes - who plays for one of Chelsea's bitter rivals.
"I want to be like Virgil van Dijk," he said. "I love Van Dijk. But some people tell me I play like Ibrahima Konate.
"It's very similar. He's a leader. For a defender, it's very important to be a leader. Off and on the pitch, I talk a lot. It's an important job.
- 'Want to win it for my people' - Salah eager to lift Ballon d'Or for Egypt
- Frank calls for Spurs to be 'brave' as he seeks more 'magic moments'
- Could Ronaldo be replaced as the youngest Ballon d'Or winner?
"I think I anticipate well. With the ball, I can pick a good pass.
"When I was a kid, I had a dream. It was to be the best centre-back in the world."
Sarr started his career with Lyon, but only registered two Ligue 1 appearances for the club, both as a substitute.
After spending time on loan with Belgian outfit RWD Molenbeek in 2024, he moved to Strasbourg last summer.
And it was there, while with Liam Rosenior's side, that his profile rose.
The defender played 27 times over the course of the campaign, helping his new club qualify for Europe for only the second time in 20 years.
His performances convinced Chelsea to splash the cash on him, with the deal originally agreed in January.
He has now joined up with his new team-mates, and has outlined how thrilled he is to make the move.
"I knew of some interest approximately in November, December," he continued. "Then in January I had an idea that it was possible. When one of the biggest clubs comes to you, it is so exciting.
"I played PSG twice last year. They are a very good team. Chelsea is a very good team. They are like PSG.
"We can compete with them. There are a lot of similarities in the game and Chelsea can beat PSG."
Sarr could make his Chelsea bow during the FIFA Club World Cup.
He was on the substitutes' bench as Enzo Maresca's side kicked their group stage off with a 2-0 win over Los Angeles.
But before he makes his Blues bow, the 19-year-old paid tribute to Rosenior for giving him his chance at Strasbourg.
"When I was a kid, I had a dream and I trusted Liam Rosenior and he trusted me," he said.
"He’s a top coach. He believed in me. He taught me a lot about how I can defend better, how I can help the team better.
"It’s important to me to train well, to speak with the coach, to speak with every player, and to be confident in what I do. It’s good for me to have competition. That will help me to be a better defender."
Stream the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement