Chelsea new manager Mauricio Pochettino was at a loss when asked about Chelsea defender, Malang Sarr.
Entertaining questions from journalists in a postmatch press conference after Luton game, Mauricio Pochettino was suddenly taken aback when a reporter asked him about Malang Sarr.
Trying to get his head around the player in question, Pochettino replied, “who?”
The faceless journalist then mentioned the name of Malang Sarr again before Pochettino was able to recall the player.
However, he admitted he was dumbfounded by the question and could not easily talk about the player in question since they were focusing on the game against Luton.
“Oh my goodness. I don’t know what I can tell you. I don’t know because you surprised me! It’s like you punch [me in the face] and I am like this [startled]. Because we were talking about Luton!,” he said.
While Pochettino was able to gloss over the relapse, eagle-eyed fans captured the footage which has went viral on social media.
The sheer size of Chelsea squad is enough to dumbfound a manager who is just joining the team.
After an unprecedented overhaul with most first team players axed from the squad, Todd Boehly is not buckling down on his spending spree. Last summer, Chelsea completed deals for 14 new players. This summer, 10 players have been signed so far with some additions still expected before the transfer window is shut.
So far, Todd Boehly has expended over £900m, and is closing in on a record £1bn net spend on transfers since he took over the club as new owner in 2022.
Mauricio Pochettino have been facing a barrage of questions from journalists about out-of-favor players who are not part of his squad plans but were yet to exit the club.
Romelu Lukaku, who is linked to Roma, is a top name on the list including Callum Hudson-Odoi who has been linked to a move to Fulham.
Pochettino is regularly prised of the fate of the two players, who are yet to settle with new clubs after being removed from Chelsea squad. Hence, he seemed a bit confused with a question about a relatively obscure name on the list like Malang Sarr.
Who is Malang Sarr?
Sarr’s obscurity from Mauricio Pochettino’s lens is not coming as a surprise. Although still a Chelsea player, Sarr has treaded the peripheries at Stamford Bridge before Mauricio Pochettino arrived as the new manager.
Sarr, 24, joined Chelsea from French Ligue 1 side Nice, where he towered as a top center-back making 102 appearances in a four-year stint.
At Chelsea, Sarr’s career took a turn for the worst. He has made only 8 Premier League appearances for Chelsea and has spent the rest of his career on loan spells to different clubs.
He was first sent on loan to Porto reserve team in Portugal in 2020. In 2021, the loan deal was renewed. He continued with the club till 2022 when he was loaned again to another club, Monaco.
Sarr has completed his loan spell at Monaco and is back at Chelsea. He has not made Mauricio Pochettino’s matchday squad and will hope to leave before the transfer window closes. The French center-back has two years remaining on his Chelsea contract and has been linked to French Ligue 1 return with Strasbourg interested in the player.
