Chelsea’s Mamadou Sarr compares himself to Liverpool star in bold claim after £12m transfer

Chelsea have been busy in the summer transfer window and Mamadou Sarr is one of five players who have arrived already. The centre-back has boldly claimed he wants to become a “leader” like Virgil van Dijk

Chelsea new boy Mamadou Sarr likes Virgil van Dijk but says he is more like Ibrahima Konate. The 19-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge this summer with a big reputation after a year learning under Liam Rosenior at Strasbourg.

The France youth international has taken plenty of lessons from up-and-coming boss Rosenior who is in charge of one of Chelsea’s family of clubs.

But Sarr says he has also watched plenty of Liverpool defenders Van Dijk and Konate to learn from them as he looks to adapt to English football.

Sarr said: “I want to be like Virgil van Dijk. I love Van Dijk. But some people tell me I play like Ibrahima Konate. It’s similar. Van Dijk is a leader. For a defender, it’s important to be a leader. Off and on the pitch, I talk a lot. It’s an important job.

“I anticipate well. With the ball, I can pick a good pass. But I’ve come here to progress. When I was young, I had a dream to be the best centre back in the world.”

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Sarr has joined for £12m and has represented France at a raft of youth levels and is already being tipped to become a full international in the future.

The 6ft 4in defender is bright, enthusiastic and excited about his opportunity in the Premier League. He learned of Chelsea’s interest midway through last season and admits it was impossible to turn down the chance to play in England.

“I knew of some interest approximately in November, December,” said Sarr. “Then in January I had an idea that it was possible. When one of the biggest clubs comes to you, it is so exciting.”

Former Derby and Hull boss Rosenior, the ex-Brighton and Fulham defender, is gaining a huge reputation after his impressive work at Strasbourg. Rosenior says Sarr is a player with the “physique and characteristics” to reach the top. Rosenior also won over Sarr with his calm approach, coaching style and desire to improve young players.

Sarr said: “When I was a kid, I had a dream and I trusted Liam Rosenior and he trusted me. 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.”

Sarr wants to help Chelsea win the Club World Cup after the opened with a win over Los Angeles and now play Flamengo on Friday. Paris Saint Germain are probably the tournament favourites but Sarr believes Chelsea can compete with the newly-crowned European champions.

He added: “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.”

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