Chelsea have confirmed the signing of young full-back Malo Gusto from Lyon on a six-and-a-half-year deal, running until 2030. The youngster is said to have joined for a fee of £26.3million, with the Frenchman returning to his former Ligue 1 club on loan for the remainder of the season.

 

The 19-year-old has made 15 league appearances so far this season, having been capped seven times by the France under-21s national team. Gusto offers plenty of promise for the future as well as a rotation option for Reece James, who has struggled with injuries over the past year and his absence is notable.

 

“He is a world-class player," Graham Potter said on James earlier this season. "You see it from the outside but not till you work with him you see how good he is. He could play in any team in the world, and any team would miss him.”

 

In Gusto there's a capable rotation option that could also allow James to move into centre-back, fitting the philosophy of the new owners. Chelsea fans were more than happy with their new signing, taking their tally to seven for January, with all of them saying the same thing.

 

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