According to a recent report from Football.London, it was mentioned that Chelsea have suffered a huge transfer blow in their pursuit of Malo Gusto from Olympique Lyon. It has been reported that the French defender will only leave the Ligue 1 club in this window if a fee in the region of £35 million is agreed upon for the youngster.
Gusto’s Impressive Campaign With Lyon So Far This Season
The French right-back has had a brilliant start to this campaign after producing a few influential displays on the field. He has done well defensively but lacked productivity in the final third picking up only an assist over 15 appearances for his current employers this season in Ligue 1.
The Décines-Charpieu-born talent has been consistent and reliable in the right flank after averaging 2.1 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 0.9 clearances, 1.4 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per game in the French first division. He has also been accurate with his ball distribution after completing 84.7% of his attempted passes in the French top flight (stats via whoscored).
Should Chelsea Boss Graham Potter Look For Other Alternatives?
Gusto is a solid player at the backline; he can clear his lines when he senses danger from the opposition and has the ability to get past the opposition’s defence. Furthermore, he excels at dribbling the ball at his feet and remains proficient in playing his way out from the back.
The 19-year-old has also got the vision to find his teammates inside the penalty box and can deliver the ball accurately from the wide areas. He would have been a brilliant addition to the Blues as he could have brought more quality to the right flank with Reece James injured for the long term.
It would be wise of Graham Potter to look at other alternatives within the transfer budget as paying £35 million would not be a viable option for Chelsea in this transfer window since his contract expires in the summer of 2024. There is a dire need for defensive reinforcement in the right flank and Potter should do well to find a decent replacement before the transfer window comes to a close.
