New Chelsea signing Mamadou Sarr has set his sights on becoming the Premier League's next Virgil van Dijk.
The 19-year-old joined up with the Blues earlier this month after Chelsea agreed a deal with Strasbourg in January to sign Sarr for €14 million.
Sarr, a France Under-20 international, has only played 40 senior games -- 27 of which came in a breakthrough year at Strasbourg last season -- and he was an unused substitute in Monday's 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC at the Club World Cup.
However, Sarr is hoping to make an impact similar to Van Dijk, who won the Premier League title with Liverpool last month to earn the 11th major trophy of a career and cement his status as one of the world's best centre-backs.
"I want to be like Virgil van Dijk," said Sarr. "I love Van Dijk. But some people tell me I play like [Liverpool's] Ibrahima Konaté. It's very similar. He's a leader. For a defender, it's very important to be a leader. Off and on the pitch, I talk a lot. It's an important job.
"I think I anticipate well. With the ball, I can pick a good pass.
"When I was a kid, I had a dream. It was to be the best centre back in the world."
