Chelsea may have edged ahead of rivals Manchester United in the race for Lyon youngster Malo Gusto in the January transfer window. The 19-year-old has been tipped for big things, playing regularly at full-back in Ligue 1 as well as for the France youth national teams throughout the ranks.
The Blues have been linked with Gusto as a potential player for the future, matching their new transfer philosophy, as well as a rotation option for Reece James. The west London club were unable to find a suitable backup to the England international in the summer, having since struggled with injury.
Amid the chase for Gusto, football.london understands that Chelsea have agreed personal terms with the full-back ahead of a potential move. The side lodged a first bid earlier this week that was eventually knocked back by Lyon, giving the side a starting point for negotiations.
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The threat of Manchester United in the equation is large, given their pulling power and the project currently being built by new manager Erik ten Hag. A deal coming in the next week seems unlikely for the Red Devils though, given their lack of funds in January, with more focus placed on the summer window.
According to Footmercato, Chelsea are leading the race for Gusto barring a huge turnaround, claiming he is "on his way to London." One sticking point in negotiations appears to be the right-back's immediate future, as Lyon are said to be keen to keep the youngster for another six-months while the Blues have no desire to loan him back.
It remains to be seen whether there will be further twists and turns in this saga, however a full agreement still seems a little far off for there to be certainty over a move.
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