Enzo Maresca is reportedly pushing Manchester City to explore a move for Chelsea full-back Malo Gusto this summer.
Gusto joined Chelsea from Lyon in a £31million deal back in 2023 and has gone on to make 134 appearances in all competitions for the west London giants.
In that time, Gusto has helped Chelsea get their hands on the Europa Conference League and the Club World Cup, while also picking up runners-up medals in both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
Three separate injuries to club captain James meant Gusto played a prominent role last season, with the Frenchman starting 26 of Chelsea’s 38 games across a difficult Premier League campaign.
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When fit and firing, James has also been deployed as a central midfielder under managers Maresca and Liam Rosenior, another factor which has allowed Gusto to get regular minutes under his belt at right-back.
But according to The Sun, there is growing possibility that Gusto could leave amid growing interest from top clubs across Europe, with Marco Palestra’s recent £43m arrival seeing the Frenchman ‘drop further down the pecking order’ at Chelsea.
It’s claimed Gusto has been emerged as a top target for reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain, who are on the hunt for quality right-back to provide support and competition for Achraf Hakimi.
Luis Enrique is said to have given the proposed move his approval as he looks to bolster his defensive options ahead of the 2026/27 season. PSG are not alone with their interest, though.
The report states that Manchester City have also been alerted to a potential deal for Gusto, with Maresca at the centre of a proposed bid having been impressed with the 23-year-old during his time in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea find themselves under pressure to offload players in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, which could open the door for Gusto’s possible departure before the transfer deadline.
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However, the Blues would not be prepared to do business for Gusto unless they receive an eye-watering offer in the region of £75million for the France international.
City are also believed to preparing a big-money offer for Gusto’s Chelsea team-mate Pedro Neto under Maresca’s orders this summer.
Elliot Anderson remains City’s only first-team addition of the window and Maresca admitted earlier this week that there were still ‘things we need to do’ in the transfer market.
Chelsea would be open to the prospect of selling Neto and have reportedly slapped a £70m price tag on the Portuguese winger.
Gusto has four years remaining on his current contract with Chelsea, while Neto’s deal runs through to June 2031.
As one of Chelsea’s many World Cup participants, Gusto was not included in Xabi Alonso’s touring party for the club’s pre-season clashes against Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham in Sydney.
He was also absent for the side’s 1-0 defeat to Juventus on Wednesday and it remains uncertain when the full-back will link up with Alonso’s squad, with the new Premier League campaign just two-and-a-half weeks away.
The Blues continue their busy pre-season schedule versus AC Milan at Jakarta’s GBK Stadium on Saturday, before facing off against Johor Darul Ta’zim in Malaysia.
Alonso’s men then return to Stamford Bridge to play host to Real Sociedad in a final friendly on August 15.
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