Four-year deal paperwork for centre-half is registered with the EFL
Reading Football Club are delighted to confirm that centre-back Naby Sarr has put pen to paper on a four-year deal which keeps him in blue and white hoops until the summer of 2026.
The final page of paperwork was signed by the 29-year-old Marseille-born defender today to officially complete his move to Berkshire.
The 6’6” centre-half has been training with the Royals’ first team for a number of weeks now, but today becomes a member of the squad on a permanent basis, subject to the normal ratification procedures from the relevant football authorities.
Head of Football Operations, Mark Bowen, said: “Naby is a centre-back who simply loves to defend. Strong in the air, comfortable with the ball at his feet, a leader out on the pitch and in the prime of his career, I am looking forward to seeing what Naby can achieve as a Royal. I am also very grateful that such a highly sought-after defender this summer has patiently remained committed to joining the project we are trying to put together at Reading.”
Sarr made his professional debut nearly ten years ago when he scored for Olympique Lyonnais 15 minutes into a Europa League win in December 2012.
Having shared a dressing room with Anthony Martial in France, he played alongside Nani during a spell in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon before arriving in London to join Charlton Athletic in 2015.
Aside from a successful season spent on loan with Parisian side Red Star, Sarr made a total of 117 appearances as an Addick - earning promotion to the Championship via a Play-Off Final win against Sunderland in 2019.
He made a switch to join Huddersfield Town in September 2020 and last season he scored three goals in 25 appearances for the Terriers – the last of which coming at Wembley in the Play-Off Final against Nottingham Forest in May.
Internationally, Sarr represented France at youth level; notably Naby started alongside Paul Pogba, Lucas Digne and Geoffrey Kondogbia amongst others in their Under-20 World Cup Final win over Uruguay in 2013.
He has since been called up to the Senegalese national team, eligible through his Dakar-born father, Boubacar Sarr, who featured for Marseille and Paris Saint Germain in the 70s and 80s.
Now, Naby is officially a Royal and is set to begin a new chapter under Paul Ince at Reading.
“Naby is a physical, powerful, experienced centre-half who is proven at this level and is definitely up for the challenge of the Championship,” the manager said. “He will be a fine example for the younger centre-halves we have coming through the ranks at Reading to follow and I am very pleased he has committed the next four years of his career to what we are aiming to achieve at this club.”
