Ligue 1 expert Adam White believes that this season has been a “failure” for Tottenham Hotspur loanee Pape Matar Sarr, who has been playing for Metz in the French top-flight.
The midfielder was signed by Spurs for a fee of £14.6m in the summer but was immediately loaned back to Metz for the remainder of the campaign.
What’s the latest with Sarr?
The 19-year-old has emerged as a real talent during his time with the French club but he has somewhat struggled for minutes this season.
A Senegal international with four caps to his name, Sarr can play in a variety of midfield positions, including both defensive and attacking midfield.
But his minutes have not exactly been consistent during his time in Ligue 1 this term.
He has made 13 starts and has completed the 90 minutes just eight times in total.
Sarr has impressed, though, particularly in terms of the statistics that he boasts, per fbref.
He is in the top 20 per cent of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues when it comes to non-penalty goals, total shots, and progressive carries.
He can move the ball forward well but White has found it difficult to watch him repeatedly consigned to the bench throughout the 2021/22 season.
What did White say?
Speaking to GiveMeSport, he said: "So at the moment, this season is a bit of a failure for both Sarr and for Tottenham because neither party is getting what they hoped. I don't know if there's a clause to recall him, maybe there is, but it's not something I know off the top of my head.
“At the moment, it wouldn't make much difference whether he was at Tottenham or at Metz, sitting on the bench at Tottenham is probably better than sitting on the bench at Metz, just for his development.”
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Is Sarr good?
As his statistics show, he genuinely is an excellent option for Spurs and they will be hoping that he plays regular minutes at Metz throughout the remainder of the campaign.
If he is to come into the north London club at the end of the season and make an impact, he has to be getting minutes regularly in France.
Otherwise, Spurs may well be minded to loan him out again in the summer.
That would be a shame, because he is clearly an excellent option when it comes to moving the ball up the pitch.
He is the kind of player Spurs need and it is understandable that director of football Fabio Paratici allowed him to go back to Metz, even if it hasn’t quite worked as he would have liked.