Chelsea have confirmed the return of Mamadou Sarr from his loan spell at Strasbourg as the club respond to a request from manager Rosenior for an additional centre back.

The 20-year-old Senegal international has completed his move back to Chelsea and is expected to play a significant role under Rosenior. Sarr worked regularly with Rosenior during their time at Strasbourg; he was named captain by Rosenior during the first half of this season despite being on loan.

The search for defensive cover had briefly included Rennes’ Jérémy Jacquet, but Jacquet was unavailable before opting to join Liverpool. Chelsea then turned to a solution closer to home. Aarón Anselmino was controversially recalled from a loan with Borussia Dortmund but, rather than remain with Chelsea, the Argentine has been sent to Strasbourg in place of Sarr.

Sarr is described as a modern-day defender, combining mobility and technical proficiency with a clear understanding of Rosenior’s methods and tactics. That familiarity should ease his transition back to Stamford Bridge and into Rosenior’s plans.

Chelsea have been without the specific central centre back profile since Levi Colwill’s injury during the summer, and Sarr is comfortable in the fabled central centre back role. He can also operate on either the right or left of a back three if required, providing tactical flexibility.

The club’s decision to recall Sarr and send Anselmino to Strasbourg effectively swaps two loaned players between Chelsea and Strasbourg, reshaping the short-term defensive options available to Rosenior. With Sarr returning to the squad, Chelsea add a young, trusted option who already understands the manager’s expectations and is ready to be integrated into matchday selections.

Arsenal were reported to have considered Sandro Tonali on Deadline Day as they sought short-term midfield cover following confirmation of Mikel Merino’s foot injury. The suggestion that Tonali had been offered to Arsenal was strongly denied by the player’s agent, while the club continued to evaluate options.

The need for reinforcements followed Arsenal’s announcement about the severity of Merino’s injury, which leaves the squad down a midfielder for the coming months. Mikel Arteta acknowledged the situation ahead of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea and confirmed the club were searching the market.

Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg claimed Arsenal were “exploring” a deal for Tonali after an initial approach was rejected. That report was contested by The Athletic ’s well-connected David Ornstein, who said no discussions between the two clubs had taken place and traced the interest back to Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso.

Andrea Berta was described as an “admirer” of Tonali, but the practicalities of completing a transfer so late in the window prevented any move from progressing. In response to The Athletic’s account, Riso told Sky Italia: “Newcastle won’t let Sandro leave in January. We haven’t spoken to Arsenal about this opportunity.”

Arteta addressed the club’s response to Merino’s absence directly. “The news of Mikel was very unexpected, obviously, especially for such a long time,” he said. “So we are actively looking at options and we will continue to do that. My day will be the same as usual, I will be busier and if we have a final solution, I will try to do it, and if we don’t, we will continue in the manner that we are now.

“You need to look and we need to do everything that we possibly can to see if we have a player that is available. If we don’t, we keep what we have,” he added, later conceding he “isn’t relaxed” about the situation.

On the injury itself Arteta was cautious: “It’s a very rare injury, so we have to wait and see once we have the surgery,” the Arsenal boss sighed. “How it reacts daily, monitor it throughout the week. I know Mikel is going to do absolutely everything that he possibly can to come back as quick as possible.”

Real Madrid turned down a late-season loan offer from Bournemouth for left back Fran García, despite the player’s wish to move. The Athletic reported García was nearing an exit in the final days of the transfer window as he sought to reunite with former Rayo Vallecano manager Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth. The Spaniard “reflected” his wishes to the club and the staff, but was left “disappointed” when Real Madrid decided not to go through with the deal.

García’s contract with Real Madrid runs until June 2027, meaning he will remain at the Bernabéu for the rest of this campaign at minimum. That permanence, however, does not promise increased involvement. He began the season expecting to be Álvaro Carreras’s backup but has slipped down Álvaro Arbeloa’s pecking order and now occupies fourth choice on the left.

He is currently behind Carreras and Ferland Mendy, once Mendy returns from injury, and has also been displaced by a tactical switch that has seen Eduardo Camavinga start twice on the left under Arbeloa. Camavinga previously featured there in an emergency role under Carlo Ancelotti.

García has been an unused substitute in Los Blancos’ last three matches. Since Arbeloa replaced Xabi Alonso as head coach, the left back has made only two appearances, totaling 78 minutes. Injuries could reopen opportunities, but as matters stand García faces extended spells on the bench and will likely have to wait until the summer to pursue a possible exit from the Spanish capital.

Real Madrid’s decision to keep García is consistent with the club’s general January caution in recent years. That conservatism carries risk; last season Ancelotti’s backline suffered heavy injury problems and the club made no midseason reinforcements. Los Blancos finished 2024–25 without a major trophy, losing La Liga, the Copa del Rey final and the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona.