Chelsea to repeat Gusto transfer trick with French wonderkid

Suraj Radia

• 21 Mar 2024 16:52 CDT
• 3 min read

One of the rare bright sparks in Chelsea’s season so far has been Malo Gusto and the Blues could repeat the trick they used to sign him with another French wonderkid.

Gusto has enjoyed an impressive first campaign with Chelsea, having signed last January for €30 million from Lyon, where he finished the season before moving to Stamford Bridge.

The 20-year-old was only expected to be a backup to Reece James but, with the England international suffering another long-term injury early in the season, Gusto has started 15 of Chelsea’s 27 league games so far.

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It is a credit to Gusto that Chelsea have not particularly felt the absence of their skipper this season and the Frenchman has become one of the few success stories in Todd Boehly’s transfer policy.

And it appears Chelsea may be looking to go down a similar path on the other side of their defence, with Bradley Locko of Brest being ‘heavily scouted’ by the club, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The 21-year-old would likely be considered a backup to Ben Chilwell at left-back but, if the progression of Gusto is anything to go by, it would not be long before Locko could emulate his French compatriot with the right performances.

The left-back conundrum at Chelsea

Left-back has been a contentious position for Mauricio Pochettino this season, with Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill and Ian Maatsen all having fulfilled the role at various points this year.

However, no player will have convinced Pochettino of their credentials to become the club’s long-term left-back, with Chilwell and Cucurella also struggling with injuries and consistency issues.

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Maatsen was loaned out to Dortmund in January having only started once in the Premier League and he is expected to be sold this summer despite impressing so far in Germany.

Colwill, meanwhile, is primarily a centre-back and lacks the attacking capabilities Chelsea usually demand from their wing backs, leaving a void at left-back that is waiting to be filled.

Chelsea will consider a host of targets in the summer in that role but there is a preference for younger and cheaper players with potential, as has been the club’s philosophy under Boehly.

Only one player has featured in more minutes than Locko for Brest this season in their astonishing campaign, where they sit second in Ligue 1 with the joint-best defence.

The 21-year-old only joined Brest last year for €500,000 but Chelsea could give the French side a quick, substantial profit while also securing their Chilwell successor at a bargain price.