Chelsea have terminated the contract of star player signed by Roman Abramovich

French defender Malang Sarr has seen his four-year stint at Chelsea brought to an end after playing less than ten Premier League games for the West London club. With outgoings just as important as incomings for the Blues this summer given their difficulties with financial fair play, players such as Trevor Chalobah find themselves on the chopping block as Enzo Maresca seeks the best season under the turbulent Todd Boehly regime.

With Sarr, who last featured in 2022, now a free agent after his contract was terminated, it means that the former Premier League champions have gotten rid of a player that was earning £100,000-per-week despite not playing, more than stars like Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher.

Sarr made the move to England in 2020 during the Roman Abramovich era, joining Chelsea on a free transfer from OGC Nice under the agreement that he would spend his first season out on loan. The signing was heralded as one for the future, with director Marina Granovskaia saying:

"The opportunity to sign Malang was one we could not miss. He is a tremendous prospect and we will be monitoring him closely during his loan period, hoping he will soon be back at Chelsea. We are very happy to welcome him to the club today."

He would go on to link up with Porto on a temporary basis, where he would make just 19 appearances across the 2020/21 campaign. He returned to his parent club the following year and made his Chelsea debut in September 2021 during a penalty shootout victory over Aston Villa in the League Cup. This was then followed by his Premier League bow in a 1-0 win over Brentford.

Games for the 25-year-old would end up being sporadic, as he featured just eight times in the Premier League, appearing more frequently in England's two domestic cups than in the top flight.

Another unsuccessful loan stint at Monaco followed before Sarr would return to Cobham and be banished from first-team training by Mauricio Pochettino.

After his Chelsea career was all but written off, it appeared as though an exit had finally been sealed during the 2024 January transfer window when the French under-21 international agreed terms with Le Havre. However, the Ligue 1 side's sporting director, Mathieu Bodmer claimed that the Blues had scuppered any potential transfer, claiming the way they acted was 'disgraceful.'

Sarr was left humiliated by what transpired, with a source close to the player claiming that they had never seen him so low. It appears he can now rest easy knowing that his future lies away from Stamford Bridge. It is being reported by French outlet L'Equipe that the central defender has already found himself a new club, with RC Lens expected to be his next destination.