CHELSEA are reportedly plotting a £10.5m swoop for Metz’s teenager star Pape Sarr.
The Senegal midfielder, 18, has enjoyed a dramatic rise into the French side’s first-team this term.
As well as attracting admiring glances from a host of big clubs, he has also earned international recognition.
Sarr won his first cap for his country in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo last month.
That came only four months after his league debut for the French club in November.
Now L’Equipe claims Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea have joined the growing list of teams queuing up to try and sign him.
But the Blues will face stiff competition for Sarr’s signature.
Premier League rivals Everton and Newcastle are also keen on the starlet.
And Manchester United have also been linked with the prodigy.
But it seems Chelsea are now the ones leading the charge as Tuchel prepares to offload a number of players once the window re-opens.
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They look set to offload the likes of Ross Barkley, Marko van Ginkel and Tiemoue Bakayoko as part of Tuchel’s overhaul.
He has been watched regularly by European clubs.
And reports in France this month suggested Nice sporting director Julien Fournier was pulling out all the stops to land him.
However it is believed Sarr – a box-to-box midfielder – has set his sights on joining a bigger club.
Metz coach Frederic Antonetti was asked about Sarr’s future last week and said: “We already have a lot of players who are in demand for the future.”
Sarr signed a five-year deal with Metz last year but they now face a battle to hang on to him.
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