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Leicester signing this solid Ligue 1 star would tighten their already strong backline

Why Leicester City must make a move for Malang Sarr in January

Back in July 2017, the Sun had claimed Leicester City sent scouts to watch OGC Nice defender Malang Sarr.

A youth product of the OGC Nice academy, Malang Sarr, helped the club finish third in Ligue 1 in his debut season. Since the 2016/17 season, he has been a regular fixture in the Nice first-team and managed 38 games across all competitions last term.

At such a tender age of 20, the defender has played over 100 times for his hometown club. Sarr is a player with huge potential and Leicester City must rekindle their interest in him during the January transfer window.

OGC Nice defender Malang Sarr in action. (Getty Images)
OGC Nice defender Malang Sarr in action. (Getty Images)

Leicester City have made a flying start to the Premier League season and are second on the table. They have been an exciting team to watch under Brendan Rodgers, with attackers like Jamie Vardy, Ayoze Perez, James Maddison and Harvey Barnes linking up very well in the final third and scoring goals. While the Foxes have impressed going forward, one shouldn’t forget that Rodgers’ defence is the strongest in the league after 13 games.

The departure of Harry Maguire in the summer hasn’t made much of a difference as Caglar Soyuncu has stepped up to fill his void. Alongside Soyuncu, Jonny Evans has marshalled the troops very well. Despite boasting the best defensive record in the division, the central defence should be Rodgers’ area of focus in January.

Wes Morgan is out of contract next summer, and with the skipper turning 36 in the New Year, it remains to be seen whether or not he’ll get another contract extension. Leicester, therefore, must bring in another central defender to complement Soyuncu, Evans and Filip Benkovic, who hasn’t progressed as quickly as expected after his Celtic loan spell.

In that regard, Malang Sarr would be a good fit at the King Power Stadium. Sarr is a calm and composed figure on the ball, who despite only being 6 feet tall, has been very impressive in the air. He’s a versatile defender and has been also used at left-back at Nice in the last couple of seasons, which could make him a huge asset to the Foxes’ defence.

James Maddison of Leicester City celebrates after scoring his team's second goal which is later disallowed by VAR during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City. (Getty Images)
James Maddison of Leicester City celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal which is later disallowed by VAR during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City. (Getty Images)

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As per WhoScored.com, Sarr has averaged 1 tackle, 1.5 interceptions, 0.5 clearances and 2 aerial duels won per game. His 91.6% pass accuracy in the Ligue 1 clearly suggests he’s composed on the ball. Plus, the Frenchman’s ability to feature on the left will surely ease the pressure on Ben Chilwell, who has been excellent so far this season.

Verdict

Sarr is one of the highly-rated defenders in Ligue 1 and signing him in January would take Leicester’s outstanding defence to the next level. He will also develop massively under a manager like Rodgers, who has worked wonders with the young talents like Chilwell, Maddison, Barnes and Tielemans.