Chelsea Sets £75m Price for Malo Gusto Amid City Interest

Chelsea have drawn a hard line over Malo Gusto. £75 million. Take him at that price, or don’t take him at all.

The 23-year-old Frenchman, signed from Lyon for around £31m in 2023, suddenly finds his place in West London under real threat. Not because of form, but because of strategy. Chelsea’s hierarchy have been busy reshaping the squad, and their latest move has put Gusto’s future in sharp focus.

Palestra deal turns up the heat

The tension around Gusto spiked once Chelsea agreed a deal in principle for Atalanta right-back Marco Palestra, in a transfer expected to exceed £43m. A specialist in Gusto’s position, the Italian’s imminent arrival changes the landscape on that flank.

Sensing the shift, Gusto’s representatives have already opened exploratory talks with several major clubs to test the market ahead of the summer window. One of the first doors knocked on: Manchester City.

City interest – but a steep wall to climb

City are in the market for a right-back and have been contacted over the Frenchman’s availability. A move to the Etihad would reunite Gusto with Enzo Maresca, his former Chelsea head coach, under whom he played for 18 months before the Italian’s exit in January.

The fit is obvious. The fee is not.

City admire Gusto and want a younger, natural right-back to deepen their options. Yet the £75m valuation, as reported by the BBC, stands as a major obstacle. Internally, it is viewed as excessive for a player still establishing himself at the top level.

Complicating matters further, the man currently holding the role at City is thriving. Matheus Nunes, converted from midfield, delivered one goal and seven assists in the Premier League last season. His performances at right-back drew high praise from former manager Pep Guardiola, who hailed him as one of the best emerging full-backs in the division.

So City are not desperate. They are selective. And at £75m, they are keeping their distance.

Chelsea’s financial reality bites

Chelsea’s stance on Gusto is not just about sporting value. It is about the balance sheet.

After a bruising campaign that ended in 10th place and without European football, the club must raise funds through sales to keep spending power intact and comply with financial regulations. That reality has already claimed one high-profile departure: Marc Cucurella’s £52m move to Real Madrid earlier this summer.

The clear-out is not cosmetic. It is structural. Chelsea want to reinvest in other areas of the pitch and trim what has become a bloated, unbalanced squad. That process inevitably drags more established names into the conversation.

Defensive futures in the air

Gusto is not alone in feeling the ground shift beneath him. The defensive department, in particular, sits on uncertain foundations.

Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana all face questions about their long-term roles as the club reshapes its back line. New arrivals, changing systems and the financial need to sell mean few defenders can feel entirely secure.

Chalobah, a Cobham graduate and fan favourite, is one of the likeliest to move. He has drawn concrete interest from Serie A side Como, now managed by former Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas. Chalobah is understood to be open to the switch, attracted by the project and the chance of regular football.

The problem, again, is cost. Como admire him, but the overall price of the deal is currently too high for the Italians to lodge a formal bid. For now, the interest sits on ice.

City look elsewhere as market narrows

While Chelsea dig in over Gusto’s valuation, City continue to scan a shrinking right-back market. They have already ruled out a move for Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, deciding not to pursue the former Southampton defender. Pedro Porro, another long-linked option, has committed his future to Tottenham, closing that door.

That leaves City watching, waiting, and weighing whether Chelsea’s stance on Gusto will soften as the window wears on and the need to sell intensifies.

For Chelsea, the equation is simple on paper but far more delicate in practice: how do you raise serious money, refresh the squad, and still avoid weakening the very positions you are trying to strengthen?

The answer may hinge on whether anyone blinks first over Malo Gusto’s £75m price tag.