Chelsea have sanctioned numerous departures this year with one player exiled from the squad now thriving in Spain

Mamadou Sarr has opened up on a nightmare six-month spell at Chelsea before leaving on loan again. The Senegal defender joined Liam Rosenior at Stamford Bridge from Strasbourg in early 2026 and made four starts before then playing just nine minutes until the end of the season.

For FA Cup games against Wrexham and Hull City, Sarr was named in the starting XI and he was also deployed from the off in the Premier League against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium. The 21-year-old rarely put a foot wrong but an error in his next appearance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League spelled the end.

With the Blues already 5-2 down on aggregate, Sarr failed to deal with a long punt forward just a few minutes into the second leg at Stamford Bridge. The ball ended up hitting the back of his leg which allowed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to break through on goal.

Sarr was dropped to the bench for the next few games and Rosenior was then sacked which ended any real chance of a return to the fold. Sarr has now opened up on that period of his career having joined Real Sociedad on a temporary basis this past summer.

He told L'Equipe: “It was really very difficult – a rollercoaster. I was coming back from the AFCON and I was on a cloud. I started to play, have some good matches, [but] the one against PSG and that error came quickly.

"[Then] no news. No sign of life. The first week was horrible regarding the criticism. And Rosenior, who brought me, was quickly ejected.

Make sure you never miss the latest Chelsea news and opinion by making Football London one of your Google preferred sources.

"No longer doing your job, staying on the bench and watching your teammates play was very hard to experience, especially without any explanation. And then, at the World Cup, I thought that I’d be playing, but, without rhythm, I didn’t.

"I am living again. I had to be patient and find the best way out [of Chelsea]. I was hungry, very hungry. I wanted just one thing: to play football […] I have rediscovered a bit of the Lyonnais atmosphere. A very good club on a sporting level and a family club, too, that trusts in young players. Real Sociedad is the perfect club for me."

Sarr's new club have made a strong start to the season and currently sit fifth in La Liga. After three Europa League games, they are fourteenth in those standings.

He has played in all three of those European outings and has also made six starts in domestic action, playing a total of 733 minutes across those two competitions having made the move a few weeks into the 2026/27 season.

Though the move was sanctioned by Xabi Alonso, he could do with having Sarr in his squad at the moment following the hamstring injury to Maxence Lacroix that looks set to keep him out until the new year.

Club captain Reece James and Joao Pedro are other key players out injured while Emiliano Martinez, Jamie Gittens and Jorrel Hato are also recovering. Jordan Henderson missed the win over Manchester United through illness but is expected back for the trip to Sunderland this Sunday.