Man City Enquire About Malo Gusto — And We Cannot Afford to Let This One Go

Enzo Maresca with Malo Gusto during their time together at Chelsea. The incoming Man City manager has made the Frenchman one of his first targets.

What We Know

Manchester City have made a formal enquiry about Malo Gusto. L'Equipe reported the approach, and it has since been corroborated by TEAMtalk, who add that Bayern Munich have also been in contact. The driving force behind City's interest is Enzo Maresca, who is on the verge of being confirmed as their new manager following Pep Guardiola's departure. Maresca knows Gusto inside out from his time at Stamford Bridge — he called him one of Chelsea's main players and was the coach who helped him understand how to function as an inverted full-back. Now he wants to take him to the Etihad.

Why Gusto Would Be Tempted

Put yourself in his position for a second. A reunion with the manager who trusted you most. Significantly more money. And, crucially, a genuine chance to start ahead of Matheus Nunes — which, given Gusto is in France's World Cup squad, could be the difference between cementing his international place or losing it. That is not a small sell. That is a compelling argument for a 23-year-old who wants to be playing at the highest level consistently. This one has legs, and we need to take it seriously.

Why Chelsea Must Hold Firm

Yes, Gusto's end-of-season form was disappointing. I will not pretend otherwise. But I am not going to let that cloud what he actually brings to this club, because that would be letting emotion do the thinking. Gusto is a superb athlete — relentless energy, direct, skilful, and a genuine threat in both boxes. He was wasted being forced to invert for long stretches when his best football comes when he is given licence to be direct and get up and down the line. He is also a big game player. When it matters, he shows up.

Here is the practical argument. Reece James cannot stay fit. It is an unfortunate reality, but it is one we have to plan around. With James always carrying something, it is vital we have two ready-made options at right-back. Josh Acheampong is not a right-back — at least not right now. Losing Gusto to a direct rival leaves a glaring gap in the squad, and the notion that we can simply sell and replace is exactly the mid-table mentality we need to leave behind. There are not ten Gusto’s available on the market. If there were, Man City would not be knocking on our door — they would just go find one elsewhere.

The Bigger Picture

Chelsea are reportedly open to offering Gusto new terms, with the club believing he fits what Xabi Alonso wants to build. He is contracted for five years alongside Reece James — that is a proper, long-term right-back situation. The fact Maresca himself described Gusto as one of our main players, and is now actively trying to take him away, should tell us everything we need to know about his value.

Selling Malo Gusto to Manchester City this summer would be a mistake. Do not do it.