According to Mirror, Chelsea had reportedly completed another signing before the transfer window came to an end as they secured Malo Gusto from Olympique Lyon. It has been stated that the Blues have paid a transfer fee of £26.3 million in order to bring him to Stamford Bridge and immediately decided to loan him back to the French outfit for the remainder of the season.
Gusto’s Decent Form At Lyon This Season
The 19-year-old has enjoyed a good campaign in French football as he has put in a series of solid performances on the right side of Lyon’s defence. Gusto has failed to find the back of the net but has secured one assist in 15 appearances for his current employers this season across all fronts.
The 19-year-old has been a reliable performer on the right flank based on his average of 2.1 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 0.9 clearances, 1.4 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per game in Ligue 1. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball to his teammates after completing 84.7% of his attempted passes in top-flight football(stats via whoscored).
His previous contract at the French club was set to expire in the summer of 2024. Hence, Chelsea did well to land him in this winter transfer window as they’ve secured him at a cut-price fee.
What Will He Bring To Chelsea?
Gusto remains a solid tackler of the ball as he can read the danger well and doesn’t mind putting his foot into a tackle. He can make some crucial interceptions in order to secure the ball back for his team on the defensive third of the pitch. Furthermore, he can create some decent plays for others around him from the right flank.
The French youngster can also complete some dangerous dribbles in the opponent’s half. He is primarily a right-back but can also fill in as a central defender or as a right-sided wide player. Thus, he is a good fit for Graham Potter‘s defensive department at Stamford Bridge.
Gusto would definitely add more bite and steel to Chelsea‘s defence and would offer some serious competition for Reece James in the race to secure a regular starting spot at the West London club over the coming seasons. Gusto could even serve as an ideal understudy for Cesar Azpilicueta at Stamford Bridge and replace him in the foreseeable future. However, they have loaned him back to Lyon for the remainder of the season, so we can expect him to feature for the Blues in their next campaign as he helps them compete for some top honours in the near future.
