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Chelsea are set to sign French defender Malang Sarr, as the 21-year-old is now a free agent upon the expiration of his contract with Nice.

French media outlet Telefoot claim the 21-year-old centre-back, who made 19 Ligue One appearances for Nice last season, will undergo a medical in London this week.

With Chelsea having up to four centre-backs at the moment and the expected signing of Thiago Silva, one would wonder what the Blues need Malang Sarr for.

However, Sarr is very highly rated and is expected to be a top centre-half in the near future. Chelsea’s plan is to loan Sarr after signing him for at least one season before he returns to the first team squad.

He is expected to follow a similar trajectory used for Kurt Zouma. Zouma joined Chelsea in January 2014 from Saint-Etienne – and was promptly loaned back to them. At the time of his return, he was a top player and broke into the Chelsea team at his young age, until he suffered a knee injury that took him out of action for nearly a year.

West Ham, Real Betis and some other clubs in the Bundesliga, are also interested in Sarr. But only Chelsea seem capable of paying him the wages he wants.