Chelsea have announced that French defender Malang Sarr has joined Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco on a one-year loan.

Chelsea made the announcement in a statement on their website.

“Malang Sarr will spend the 2022/23 season on loan at Monaco.

“The French defender returns to his homeland for the coming campaign, where he began his career just a little further along the coast with Nice, becoming a first-team regular at the age of 17 before joining Chelsea in 2020 and signing a five-year contract with the club.

“Monaco finished in third place in Ligue 1 last season while reaching the knockout stages of the Europa League, a competition they are competing in again having last night lost to PSV Eindhoven 4-3 on aggregate in a Champions League third qualifying round tie.

“Sarr made his senior Chelsea debut in last season’s Carabao Cup victory over Aston Villa, before his first Premier League appearance in a 1-0 win at Brentford. The 23-year-old played 21 times in total during 2021/22, including coming off the bench in both matches in Abu Dhabi as we triumphed at the FIFA Club World Cup.

“He previously spent the 2020/21 season on loan with Porto, making 19 appearances for the Portuguese team, including six in the Champions League, although he remained on the bench for their quarter-final games against Chelsea.”