Chelsea recall Sarr, swap Anselmino to Strasbourg, amid stalled negotiations with Tati

Mamadou Sarr has been sent back to Chelsea (Instagram/@msarr6_).

Chelsea will recall Mamadou Sarr from his loan at sister club Strasbourg and send Aaron Anselmino to the French club in a swap deal before the end of the transfer window.

Sarr became Strasbourg captain and played the full 90 minutes in a 1-2 defeat against PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) on Monday, February 2, 2026, in the early hours of WIB, in his last Ligue 1 match before the move.

In a move that has angered Strasbourg fans, the 20-year-old Senegalese, who is under contract until 2033 with the Blues, will finish the season in the English League.

This move was made at the request of Liam Rosenior, who had worked with him at Strasbourg before taking over at Chelsea. Sarr will depart for London on Monday, February 2, 2026, local time, to start a new chapter in his career.

To replace Sarr's departure, Chelsea will loan Argentine center-back Anselmino to Strasbourg until the end of the season after ending his loan at Borussia Dortmund last week.

Initially, the plan was for Sarr to join Chelsea's first team at the end of the season. However, in the end, they decided to choose an easier option and make the exchange now.

In the midst of the deal, Chelsea have also been looking for a central defender. However, their two offers were rejected by two other French clubs.

One offer of 50 million euros to Rennes for Jeremy Jacquet and one offer of 30 million euros to Nantes for Tylel Tati.

Jeremy Jacquet is said to have received an offer from Liverpool and will join this summer.

Meanwhile, for Tati, Chelsea has increased its efforts in recent days to attract the 18-year-old talent.

The London club has indicated its intention to make an official bid of around 30 million euros. This proposal has not resulted in an official written agreement.

Ideally, Chelsea wants to loan the player back to FC Nantes for the second half of the season. This operation is most likely not going to work given the limited time before the transfer window closes Monday, February 2, 2026, local time.

Not to mention, FC Nantes is heavy to let go of the central defender because Tati is a key player in the 11 core players. He has been a starter in 18 of the last 20 matches.