Chelsea and Everton target Pape Matar Sarr ‘is like Miralem Pjanic’, according to Metz boss

Paul Macdonald

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:39 CDT
• 2 min read

Metz boss Olivier Perrin has compared £27million-rated midfielder Pape Matar Sarr to Barcelona star Miralem Pjanic.

Sarr, 18, has impressed in Ligue 1 this season. He has made 18 appearances so far this term, scoring twice and helping Metz to an impressive 10th place.

The Metz academy has a great history of producing players, with the likes of Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly, Louis Saha and Sylvain Wilford beginning their careers with the club.

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Another player who featured for Metz earlier in his career is Pjanic, who has been one of the finest central midfielders in Europe over the past decade, especially with Roma and Juventus.

Perrin believes there are definite comparisons to be made between the Bosnian and Sarr.

“I immediately said to myself that he was a top player, with a very high-level (with regards to) reading and analysing the game. He is Miralem Pjanic,” Perrin said of Sarr.

“He is really one of the different players. 

“There were big, big clubs who got interested in Pape Matar Sarr when he was very, very young. But he already had a professional contract. So he had to go to FC Metz.” 

Which Premier League clubs are interested in Sarr?

According to L’Equipe, Newcastle, Chelsea and Everton are tracking Sarr, with the Toffees apparently contacting the French outfit this past Monday to discuss a potential summer swoop for the youngster.

Aston Villa, who recently signed another Ligue 1 midfielder, Morgan Sanson from Marseille in January, have also emerged as a potential destination. Villa may have money to spend if they sell star man Jack Grealish this summer.

Were he to join Chelsea, he would face competition from the likes of N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic for a spot in central midfield.