€90m star makes bold Chelsea transfer decision

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Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Malo Gusto reportedly has no intention of leaving Chelsea next year, despite concerns over his place in Xabi Alonso’s team.

The 23-year-old has been a key player for the Blues since his arrival from Lyon in 2023, but his form has dipped over the past 12 months and he has only started three of their six Premier League matches so far this season.

Gusto was an unused substitute during Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford before the international break, while he only made a two-minute cameo against Bournemouth on Saturday following Marco Palestra’s return to full fitness.

The Italy international moved to Stamford Bridge from Atalanta for a fee of €57 million in July, after winning the Serie A Defender of the Year award last term, but he suffered a hamstring injury in pre-season and he only made his first competitive appearance for the club in their 5-1 thrashing of Bournemouth over the weekend.

Palestra played a pivotal role throughout pre-season and it’s understood that he is now likely to be ahead of Gusto in the pecking order, with the Frenchman therefore potentially set to play a fairly limited role over the coming weeks.

Reece James and Josh Acheampong are also options at right-back if Alonso opts to deploy a back-four system, while Pedro Neto has been used as a right wing-back ahead of Gusto on a number of occasions this term.

Chelsea open to Malo Gusto sale

It’s understood that Chelsea were willing to sell Gusto this summer if they received an offer worth roughly €90m, but no such approaches were submitted and the 23-year-old remained at Stamford Bridge.

Sky Sport Switzerland journalist Sacha Tavolieri now reports that Chelsea are open to reducing their asking price for the France right-back, with back-to-back Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain believed to be among his suitors.

However, Gusto currently has no intention of leaving the Blues. It’s reported that he remains happy at Stamford Bridge and while his stance could change if his game time reduces drastically over the coming weeks, he is keen to establish himself as a key player under Alonso.

In fact, Gusto would only consider leaving Chelsea to take a “significant step forward in his career”, with the France star prioritising an extended spell in west London.