Malo Gusto is reportedly on Barcelona’s radar, but a summer move seems improbable, as he is yet to debut for Chelsea.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona’s shortlist of right-back targets has five candidates. One of those players is Malo Gusto, who joined Chelsea in January. But with the 19-year-old yet to make his debut for the West London club, a summer move is unlikely.
Malo Gusto is one of the best young full-backs in the world. He started his youth career at AS Villefontaine before completing a short stint with FC Bourgoin-Jallieu. But the Frenchman’s stock has risen since moving to Lyon in 2016. And he made his Lyon debut as a 17-year-old in January 2021.
Since then, the 19-year-old has come leaps and bounds, establishing himself as a first-team regular. And Gusto is ready for the next phase of his budding career after joining Chelsea in the January transfer window. The teenage sensation rejoined Lyon on loan for the remainder of the season but will return to Chelsea at the end of the season. Meanwhile, he is a target for Barcelona.
The Catalan giants are in the market for a right-back, with Joan Laporta recently confirming the same. The Barcelona president asserted that the club would look for a long-term solution for the position. And that is hardly surprising, considering Dani Alves has been Barcelona’s best right-back in the past decade.
Several players have thus emerged on Barcelona’s radar over a possible summer move. And Malo Gusto is one of the five candidates on their shortlist of right-back targets. The list also includes Jeremie Frimpong, Juan Foyth, Thomas Meunier, and Diogo Dalot.
Among the five right-backs, Gusto might be the least achievable target. That is because the 19-year-old is yet to kick a ball for Chelsea. In addition, with several other clubs interested, Barcelona will not enter a bidding war for him either. And Meunier might be the only candidate within their reach.
Frimpong is reportedly closer to joining Manchester United, while Dalot will not leave the Red Devils. In addition, Foyth is too expensive for Barcelona. So it will be interesting to see who bolsters Xavi Hernandez’s right-back options this summer. Meanwhile, Gusto will likely make his Chelsea debut next season and hope for a long stint with the Blues.
