Chelsea Sets £75m Price for Malo Gusto Amid City Interest
Chelsea have drawn a thick line under Malo Gusto’s future. Cross it, and it will cost £75 million.
The 23-year-old Frenchman, signed from Lyon for around £31m in 2023, suddenly finds himself at the centre of a power shift in west London. A year ago he was billed as Reece James’ understudy and long‑term rival. Now he is the right-back Chelsea are prepared to cash in on to fund yet another rebuild.
New right-back incoming, old questions returning
The tension around Gusto’s position spiked the moment Chelsea agreed a deal in principle for Atalanta defender Marco Palestra, in a package worth more than £43m. A specialist right-back, younger and expensive. The message to Gusto was impossible to miss.
His camp has not waited around. Representatives have already opened exploratory talks with several major clubs to test the market ahead of the summer window. One name stands out among those contacted: Manchester City.
City, fresh from another season of relentless standards, are assessing options at right-back. A move to the Etihad would reunite Gusto with Enzo Maresca, the coach who worked with him for 18 months at Stamford Bridge before leaving in January. That connection alone gives the story a sharper edge.
City interest meets Chelsea’s hard line
City’s interest is real, but so is Chelsea’s stance. The London club have set the bar at £75m, a figure that BBC reports could prove a major obstacle for the Premier League champions.
Complicating the picture is Matheus Nunes. Converted from midfield, the Portugal international has flourished in the hybrid right-back role, scoring once and providing seven assists in the league last season. Pep Guardiola previously hailed him as one of the best emerging right-backs in England, and his form has eased any immediate pressure on City to overpay.
City still want a younger, natural right-back to grow into the role over the long term. They have stepped away from moves for Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, while Pedro Porro has nailed his colours to the Tottenham mast. Gusto remains on the radar, but not at any price.
For now, City are watching the market, not driving it.
Chelsea’s financial squeeze and defensive shake-up
Chelsea’s valuation of Gusto is not just about talent. It is about balance sheets. After finishing a dismal 10th and missing out on European football, the club are under pressure to generate significant income from sales.
The cull has already started. Marc Cucurella has gone to Real Madrid in a deal worth £52m, a rare profit in a chaotic era of heavy spending. More departures are expected as the club try to reshape a bloated squad and redirect funds to other areas of the pitch.
That leaves several defenders in a state of limbo. Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana all find their futures under scrutiny as the hierarchy weigh who fits the next version of Chelsea and who becomes collateral.
Gusto sits right in that crossroads: valuable, saleable, and suddenly not as central as he once seemed.
Chalobah on Como’s radar
While Gusto’s situation plays out at the top end of the market, Chalobah could be heading for a different kind of adventure. The defender has attracted interest from Serie A side Como, now managed by former Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
Chalobah is understood to be open to the move. The stumbling block is the cost. The Italian club have yet to turn admiration into a formal offer, wary of the financial demands involved.
So Chelsea wait. City wait. Gusto waits.
The price is on the table. The question now is simple: who believes a 23-year-old right-back is worth £75m in a summer when even the richest clubs are choosing their battles carefully?
