90min has reported that Chelsea target Malo Gusto is pushing Olympique Lyon to sanction his move to Stamford Bridge this month.
The Blues have been active this winter, completing as many as six new signings and they are still trying to further strengthen the squad. While the focus now is on signing a new midfielder, the West London club are also keen on reinforcing their right-back position and Gusto has emerged as a prime target.
The 19-year-old was scouted by the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, and FC Barcelona but Chelsea are now leading the race and trying to get a deal done this month.
Lyon want to keep the player until the summer but Fabrizio Romano claims Gusto has already agreed personal terms with the Blues so it’s down to the two clubs to agree a fee.
Chelsea submitted a £17 million bid for the full-back which was knocked back but Romano says they are ready to return with a second bid. The Daily Mail suggests that a deal would cost around £30m.
Gusto only has 18 months left on his current deal with the Ligue 1 side. Lyon want to extract the maximum value out of any sale but Chelsea are hopeful of completing a deal before the window closes next week.
According to 90min, the Frenchman also prefers moving to London now rather than having to wait until the summer and he’s pushing Lyon to let him leave this winter.
Our View
The West Londoners have been looking to strengthen their right-back position for quite some time so it makes sense why they are pursuing Gusto. Reece James has been injury-prone over the last 12 months and Cesar Azpilicueta cannot be expected to start week in and out. Therefore, it goes without saying that the 19-year-old would be a welcome addition to Stamford Bridge.
Gusto is still young and has the potential to develop further under the guidance of Potter over the coming years. He can also play as a midfielder so his versatility is an added bonus.
Todd Boehly and co. should look to get this deal done by the end of this month otherwise it could get difficult for Chelsea to sign him in the summer as competition for his signature is likely to increase.
