Chelsea set put Man City target up for sale – but set an enormous price

Updated: 7 Aug 2026 07:54 BST | 4 min read

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

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Chelsea are willing to sell Malo Gusto to Manchester City this summer, but the France international right-back will not be allowed to depart Stamford Bridge for anything less than a huge fee.

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Gusto is a player who has largely drawn criticism for his performances with the Blues since making a 2023 move from Lyon in a deal worth €30 million.

The arrival of Marco Palestra has put Gusto’s place in Xabi Alonso’s squad under threat, and numerous sides, including Man City, have already expressed their interest in signing the 23-year-old, according to RMC Sport.

Clubs stunned by Chelsea’s asking price

City are of course managed by former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who will know exactly what he’s getting in the form of Gusto, yet the Etihad side are unlikely to be willing to match the Blues’ initial asking price for the player.

Chelsea have set the bidding at £75 million (€87m) for the full-back, who typically offers support to Reece James when the captain is fit.

RMC states that: “This amount is considered well above market value by many clubs.”

Maresca’s side are among those to have recoiled at a deal for Gusto in the face of this figure.

The Frenchman’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) sits at €37.2m (nearly £32m), having peaked at €45.9m (£39.3m). In other words, the expectation of Chelsea is that a buying club pays nearly twice what Gusto has ever been worth.

The Blues are in a somewhat strong position given the defender still has four years left to run on his deal, yet he would be an expensive player to have sitting on the sidelines if he were to fail to make Alonso’s Premier League squad.

Malo Gusto a ‘main player’ for Maresca’s Chelsea

Gusto was one of the best-performing full-backs in the Premier League last season, according to data analytics firm SciSports, which put him firmly in the top third of performers in his position.

He particularly shone in terms of passing and crossing, with Man City boss Maresca appreciative of these qualities when he was still with Chelsea.

“We have said many times Malo is a main player in the way we want to play. He can play in different positions. We like players who we can be dynamic with. Malo is one of them,” he explained to the media while still in charge of Chelsea last November.

“We are very happy with Malo. I can say that since I joined the club, I have considered Malo a main player for us.”

His influence waned following the departure of Maresca and also the return to fitness of James, but it’s clear the Manchester City manager appreciates him – just not at Chelsea’s clearly exorbitant asking price.