Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea have no regrets over spending £26m on defender in January 2023 to beat competition

Chelsea have no regrets about Malo Gusto investment

When Chelsea signed 20-year-old Malo Gusto from Olympique Lyonnais in January 2023, the general football audience mostly likely saw him as a squad player who would provide extra depth whenever required.

Having spent the second half of the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Lyon from Chelsea, Gusto made his debut in our opening Premier League fixture of the campaign against Liverpool, coming on as a late substitution for his skipper. Fast forward to March 2024, and there’s surely no Chelsea lineup that could leave him out of the equation, irrespective of Reece James’ availability.

Gusto, by and large, is among the players who provide a beacon of hope for the future amid the current troubles the side is going through. Alongside the likes of Conor Gallagher and Cole Palmer, Gusto is one of the most consistent performers for Mauricio Pochettino. It is certainly proving worth every penny of the £26.2m Chelsea spent on securing his services. Here is what Fabrizio Romano recently posted about Gusto’s situation with Chelsea via Twitter.

Well in, Malo!

In 28 appearances across all competitions this season, Gusto has seven assists to boot. A Mauricio Pochettino system depends highly on its fullbacks for creative output, and Gusto’s attack-minded mentality sits just perfectly with that school of thought. Evident from his time at the Lyon Academy is the fact that he is an extremely versatile player and can play advanced roles as well.

However, his pace and athleticism remain best suited to his current role and maybe that of a right midfielder. As a former midfielder, he tends to carry the ball in the half spaces in the middle of the park and generate play from there. His tendency to carry the ball inside is similar to that of Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool. Having said that, any comparisons at this time are early doors and we should ideally let Gusto develop without any external pressure.

The fact that the club believes in his potential and is more than happy with his development is an indication of the hard work put in by Gusto and the coaching staff behind the scenes.As Gusto continues to blossom and evolve as a player, Chelsea fans can look forward to witnessing his continued growth and contributions to the team’s success. While comparisons to established players may be premature, Gusto’s development trajectory suggests that he has the potential to carve out his own unique legacy at Stamford Bridge.

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• Malo Gusto says he enjoyed Chelsea fans signing Three Little Birds by Bob Marley

Overall, Gusto’s journey serves as a testament to Chelsea’s commitment to nurturing young talent and building for the future. As he continues to impress on the pitch, the sky’s the limit for Malo Gusto and his promising career at Chelsea Football Club.