Who is Malo Gusto? Future Chelsea right-back is more than just his pure numbers

Will arrive in the summer 

There were so many transfers this winter involving Chelsea that it was almost impossible to keep track of them all. Overall, the London-based club broke a record by spending €611.49 million on new players under new owner Todd Boehly this season. When a club spends €130m for Enzo Fernández, up to €100m on Mykhaylo Mudryk, and €80.4m on Wesley Fofana, it is, after all, easy to overlook a €30m transfer. That is how much Chelsea paid for 19-year-old French right-back Malo Gusto this January. 

Gusto was signed from Olympique Lyon on Jan. 29, two days before deadline day, with Chelsea paying twice his current market value of €15m to secure his services before immediately loaning him back to the French giants.  Gusto, who also has a Portuguese passport, has played seven games (one goal) for France’s U21 side and has been a regular for OL this season. Capable of playing as a full-back and wing-back but also as a center-back, Gusto is currently playing his second full season with the club. 

Although Ligue 1 has become a hotbed for young talent, Transfermarkt Area Manager France Ronan Caroff quickly points out that Gusto’s ascendancy to Lyon’s first team was not a given. “In general, Olympique Lyonnais have been a bit more hesitant when promoting academy players to their first team,” Caroff said. “But Gusto made the jump quickly, playing first as a right midfielder before taking over from captain Léo Dubois at right-back.” Played off the pitch by Gusto, Dubois would eventually leave in frustration and join Galatasaray last summer in a deal worth €2.5m. 

Malo Gusto to Chelsea: Part of a new wave of full-backs at OL

Relying on a teenager over the experienced Dubois would turn out to be a good investment for the seven-times French champions. In fact, former head coach Peter Bosz discovered the talent and pressed him into service, starting him out at midfield, where he would learn to balance his tendencies to join the attack with defensive responsibilities. 

Caroff points out that Gusto’s abilities are not necessarily apparent right away when one looks at his naked statistics alone. “He is part of a new wave of full-backs that will get involved in the attack, which is why Bosz launched him in midfield first,” Caroff said while pointing out that it is important to look beyond Gusto’s obvious stats this season, first and foremost because Lyon has struggled all season. 

Despite the coaching change, Gusto remained a regular in the starting XI. The only time the right-back missed was in December when he struggled with a muscle strain that kept him out of three games. But the injury further added to the fact that Gusto had a hard time producing hard numbers so far this season. 

New Chelsea right-back – What do the numbers say about Gusto? 

A deep dive at the scouting platform Wyscout, however, highlights why Chelsea have gone out to pay €30m for the right-back. Despite being only 19, Gusto leads Ligue 1 with 12.93 progressive passes per 90 minutes, 109 total crosses, and 6.38 crosses per 90 minutes. Gusto’s 0.88 crosses per 90 minutes to the six-yard box rank him second in Ligue 1 behind Jonathan Clauss (Olympique Marseille). 

OL are currently ranked ninth in Ligue 1 with 33 goals scored (overview), and only striker Alexandre Lacazette has been scoring regularly for the club (13 goals). Lacazette is not a physically imposing striker, and although Gusto’s crosses and progressive passes have led to attacking actions, the club’s final product overall has been lacking. With all that in mind, what is Gusto’s ceiling then, and when can Chelsea fans expect the 19-year-old to make an impact for their club in the Premier League? 

“It is tough to tell what his ceiling is,” Caroff said. “But a transfer was clearly needed to see if he could further push his limits. As it stands, Lyon might miss out on Europe for a second consecutive season.” Caroff, in fact, believes that a transfer to Chelsea might finally unleash Gusto’s potential. “Maybe a transfer can free his mind and allow him to get proper closure with the club that, after all, gave him his first pro contract.” Chelsea fans and the rest of the World will find out next season whether Caroff has been right. 

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