Chelsea have confirmed the addition of Malo Gusto from Lyon, with the teenage defender returning to the French side for the remainder of the season on loan.
Gusto will set the blues back a fee of around 30m euros, with the potential for performance-related add-ons, and has penned a deal until 2030 at Stamford Bridge.
The teenager, who is the sixth addition for the Blues this January, has made 15 appearances for Lyon this season and is regarded as one of the biggest young talents in Ligue 1 at present. He will offer cover and competition for the increasingly injury-prone Reece James from next summer onwards, with the Englishman one of Chelsea’s most influential players when fit.
“I play right-back, I’m a fast player, crosser and box-to-box”, Gusto told the Chelsea website. “I chose Chelsea because it’s a very big club and I very [much] like the project.”
“I’m very happy to be here – I also like the city”, he added.
‘I’m a fast player, a crosser and box-to-box.’
Getting to know Malo Gusto! 💬 pic.twitter.com/YE1p0LPahH
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 29, 2023
The arrival of Gusto takes Chelsea’s winter spending over 200m euros, and their spending since Todd Boehly arrived in May to 500m euros on 15 new additions, with more expected.
Meanwhile, David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos have been added as young talents, and are expected to be loaned out before the January deadline as Chelsea look to hoover up young talent worldwide, following on from their summer investments in Cesare Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka.
There is still scope for further spending before Tuesday’s deadline too, with a midfielder remaining on the wishlist and Moises Caicedo’s future uncertain at Brighton, though the price tag may prove a stumbling block.
