Malo Gusto: Why Chelsea target would be perfect Graham Potter signing

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 23 May 2023 09:09 CDT
• 4 min read

Lyon’s young right-back Malo Gusto is on the radar of Chelsea - but just what would the Blues be getting?

A report in L’Equipe has linked the teenage Ligue 1 defender with a move to Stamford Bridge this window.

Gusto has made 47 appearances for Lyon’s first team overall and has been a regular this season - and the French youth international is considered one of Europe’s most sought-after defensive players, with Manchester City and Tottenham also linked.

Gusto’s contract expires at the end of next season - while Lyon languish 9th in Ligue 1 and look set to miss out on European football for a third consecutive season.

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The side will ask for a high price for the 19-year-old but face a tough ask in keeping ahold of him given his contract will have less than 12 months left after the coming June.

For Chelsea, Gusto would provide cover for Reece James and Cesar Azpilicueta - while he could also be put further afield, as a holding midfield when Graham Potter puts out a double pivot, as the Frenchman has the attributes to fulfil such a position.

Gusto - the passing machine

First-choice right-back and club captain Leo Dubois moved to Galatasaray in the summer from Lyon and this provided the opportunity for their academy graduate Gusto to make regular appearances this campaign.

Former coach Peter Bosz deployed a possession-based game in a 4-3-3 formation - while Laurent Blanc has been playing around with different styles, sometimes putting Gusto on the right-wing in a 3-4-3.

Gusto shows great positional sense in the early build-up of play: he can make line-breaking passes into the centre and knows how to stretch play by moving sneakily into areas where switches can be made.

The teenager bodes well under pressure and makes the right calls for the most part when facing the press, opting to push forward with a ball into space or use a first touch to cushion the ball to the centre-back.

Defensively, Gusto is astute. He can counter-press well, is a nifty tackler, and has made 1.47 interceptions per 90 - which is in the top 88 percentile. He also makes 1.40 key passes per 90 and an xA of 0.25 measuring in the same time. His 7.30 ball recoveries per 90 is in the top 93 percentile as well, which is astounding considering his age and knowledge that he is not yet fully physically developed.

That’s not to say Gusto is weedy: he possesses decent strength already at his age and his powerful legs mean he can really stretch out and claw away the ball from the opposition and make good lunges when required. Consequently, shielding is an adept attribute of his as well.

But Gusto’s real strength lies in passing. He makes 2.00 passes into the penalty area every game - in the top 96 percentile - as well as hefty 5.58 crosses per 90. Indeed, Gusto is superb at knowing when to overload the flanks and deliver dangerous balls into his team-mates with typically curled and lofted balls - which, when land, are superb, But there are instances when they are not given enough weight and fall short or even run over the heads of attackers waiting in the box. However, when Gusto makes a cutback along the ground it is often precise and hit with enough to gift the receiver the best opportunity to strike.

Our Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of Gusto is €24.7m but this could go as high as €30.8m. It would not be a bad choice for Chelsea by any measure, given they would be getting one of the best young wing-backs playing today.