Malo Gusto goes into the winter window with his Chelsea future under real scrutiny. The Chelsea right-back is open to leaving in January, and the club's summer asking price of £75m has kept the market active even as his minutes have dropped sharply.

Chelsea's stance and the reduced role

BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella, writing for football365.com, said Chelsea were open to selling Gusto in the summer and set a £75m asking price for potential suitors, although their current stance is unclear. Daily Mail Sport went further, reporting that Gusto is open to leaving Chelsea this January after staying in the summer.

The football case for a move is not difficult to see. Gusto has played only 307 Premier League minutes under Xabi Alonso this season, and in Chelsea's last six Premier League games he has either been unused or sent on as a second-half substitute. He has made seven Premier League appearances and carries a 6.52 average rating, which is solid enough, but not enough to lock down the right-back spot.

Suitors already watching

Liverpool made enquiries about Gusto in the summer, while TEAMtalk also said Tottenham Hotspur were among the Premier League clubs to explore his availability. Reports from Football Italia added Como and AC Milan to the list of interested clubs.

That interest fits the wider situation. Gusto wants regular football so he can stay in contention with France, and Chelsea's right-back picture has become crowded. Josh Acheampong has been used increasingly in that role while Reece James remains injured, and Marco Palestra has also been in the mix after his £47m move from Atalanta. Chelsea's league position is still fifth, so there is no urgent rebuild pushing them one way or the other, but the January noise around Gusto is no longer coming from one outlet alone.

The clearest reading is that Chelsea have not shut the door, and Gusto has not shut it either. If the minutes stay where they are, January will keep moving him closer to the exit line, with Liverpool, Como and Milan still waiting to see whether that £75m valuation comes back into play before the window closes.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →