Defender Malo Gusto considers his future at Chelsea
Chelsea defender Malo Gusto is considering the possibility of leaving the team this summer as Chelsea offers him a price of £75 million, amid interest from Manchester City.
Chelsea defender Malo Gusto is considering his options to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, with the club placing a £75m price tag on him. The 23-year-old defender became uncertain about his future after Chelsea agreed to negotiate to sign Marco Palestra from Atalanta, who plays in the same position, for more than £43 million. Gusto already knew his future was uncertain before the move, and sources say his representatives have had exploratory discussions with multiple clubs, including Manchester City. However, Chelsea is asking for a price of more than £75 million for the French player. City are looking to sign a right-back to compete with Matheus Nunes next season, but sources say that, despite interest in Gusto, he is not a leading candidate at this point in the transfer window. Any move to the Etihad Stadium would mean Gusto would reunite with former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who managed him for 18 months before leaving Stamford Bridge in January. Chelsea need to make many important player sales this summer after finishing last season in 10th place in the Premier League and not qualifying for Europe. Spanish defender Marc Cucurella joined Real Madrid this summer in a deal worth £52m. Chelsea plans to strengthen the squad and wants at least one centre-back to join the Palestra. This has put many players' futures in doubt, including those of Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana. Chalobah is attracting interest from Serie A side Como, who qualified for the Champions League with a fourth-place finish under coach Cesc Fabregas. It is known that Chalobah is open to this transfer, but the cost of the deal is preventing the Italian team from making an official offer. Sources at City have clarified that they have no plans to transfer Gusto, possibly because of the £75 million price tag that Chelsea have offered. But there's no denying that the club are looking at signing a new right-back this summer. Recent reports in Italy suggested City had reached a personal agreement with Marco Palestra, but that did not happen, and Chelsea instead moved quickly to sign the promising young defender from Atalanta. City have been without a natural right-back since Kyle Walker left the club in January 2025, and Nunes, 28, has shined in the position after being converted from midfield. The Portuguese scored one goal and provided seven assists in the Premier League last season, and his performances led manager Pep Guardiola to say Nunes is becoming "one of the best right-backs in the world". However, after using a makeshift right-back for all of last season, City are now targeting a young player in the position who can develop into the role in the future. A deal for Newcastle and England right-back Tino Livramento has been ruled out, while there has been links with Tottenham's Pedro Porro, but the Spaniard has signed a new contract with the club.
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