This past summer, Tottenham Hotspur added midfielder Pape Matar Sarr from FC Metz, but the north London club decided to loan him for another season with the Ligue 1 club. The 19-year-old has made 19 appearances scoring one goal and one assist.
Sarr has played all over the midfield this season for Metz, whether as an attacking, central, or defensive midfielder. The teenager is currently representing Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Only six months away from joining Tottenham for next season, observers of French football told The Athletic how Sarr was able almost instantly to adjust to top-flight French football.
“Coming from Senegal, he made good performances in a really short time,” says the sporting director of a rival French club. “Usually, when players come from Senegal or elsewhere in Africa, they need time to adapt to European football first of all.”
“They need time to adapt to the social life, the different food, different weather. Particularly in Metz, where it is really cold in the winter. But his time to adapt was really, really short. That is why he was most impressive because he was ready to play well so quickly.”
It is too early to say yet what Sarr will do upon arriving in north London later this year, although he has begun taking English lessons to prepare for when he does come to the Premier League club. And there is no doubt Tottenham feels they have a steal of a player for when he does arrive.