Malo Gusto is open to leaving Chelsea in January, BBC Sport reported on Wednesday, after more than two months without a Premier League start. The detail that stands out is who is playing instead: with captain Reece James injured, Xabi Alonso has picked academy graduate Josh Acheampong at right-back ahead of a France international Chelsea valued at £75 million in the summer.
From 34 league games to the bench
Gusto made 34 Premier League appearances last season. This season, the 23-year-old has slipped behind Acheampong in Alonso's pecking order, and his 100th Chelsea appearance came off the bench in the 1-0 defeat at Sunderland before the international break.
According to BBC Chelsea reporter Nizaar Kinsella, Gusto has communicated his view internally and amicably, and he is assessing his options while away with France.
The price is the obstacle
Chelsea were open to selling him in the summer and set a £75 million asking price for interested clubs. Manchester City, now managed by former Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca, were among them, though the BBC says it's unclear whether that interest remains. Nothing happened before the deadline, and Gusto stayed.
That figure is almost three times what Chelsea paid. They signed him from Lyon in 2023 for £26.3 million, and he is under contract until 2030, so the club holds the leverage on any January deal. Chelsea's own stance on a winter sale has not been made public.
The January window opens in seven weeks. Until then, the question for Alonso is whether a player who wants minutes gets any at right-back once the Premier League returns after the break.
