Chelsea transfer news: Inside the battle for Malo Gusto’s signature
Chelsea transfer news: The rumours had been bubbling under for weeks, but now the lid is completely off. Chelsea’s summer transfer window has just erupted. Reports across the board, from TEAMtalk to France, confirm that 23-year-old right-back Malo Gusto has agreed personal terms with Manchester City. He wants out. Crucially, he has given Enzo Maresca, who recently swapped the Stamford Bridge dugout for the Etihad, the total green light to get this deal over the line.
Let’s look at the raw data. Gusto was a regular fixture last season, racking up 34 Premier League appearances and clocking 2,269 minutes on the pitch. He managed three goals and three assists while averaging 1.98 tackles and 1.23 interceptions per 90 minutes.
Reliable? Mostly. But a string of high-profile defensive errors during the run-in left the Chelsea hierarchy scratching their heads about his long-term suitability. Combined with a shifting recruitment strategy in West London, those doubts opened the door. City walked right through it.
The £30m sticking point
The financial side of this is a proper game of poker. Chelsea want £75 million. Manchester City, led by new sporting director Hugo Viana, doesn’t want to pay a penny over £45 million. That is a massive gulf. However, talk behind the scenes suggests a compromise of around £50 million to £60 million is where this likely ends up.
Chelsea hold a decent hand here because Gusto is locked into a contract until 2030, and selling directly to a title rival always leaves a bitter taste. If the talks collapse, City are already tracking Feyenoord’s Givairo Read as a backup option.
Everything depends on a separate deal moving parts elsewhere. Chelsea are on the verge of signing Italian full-back Marco Palestra. Once that transfer is official, Gusto becomes completely surplus to requirements. The plan at Stamford Bridge is to let Palestra and Reece James share the workload on the right side of defence next year.
Gusto’s desire to move isn’t just about trophies. He won the FIFA Club World Cup under Maresca just last year, and that connection is driving his desire to move north. City desperately need a specialist anyway. Matheus Nunes has been filling in out of position at right-back, which is a stopgap solution at best.
Read: Chelsea have put £21m on the table for this left-back
Right now, Gusto is away with the France squad for the World Cup ahead of their knockout match against Sweden. Any medical in Manchester will have to wait until his international duties are done. The clubs still need to agree on the final price tag, but the player has made his choice clear.
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