It was frustrating. It was, at some points, tiring for Chelsea as the club negotiated with a stubborn Lyon over the transfer of teenage prodigy Malo Gusto.
However on January 27, Chelsea finally made a breakthrough for the 19-year-old right-back. Some supporters were starting to give up hope – Lyon were so adamant they did not want to sell Gusto - but ultimately, Chelsea's new-look recruitment team did what they've done so well this month. They got the deal done.
They were forced to compromise somewhat, however. Lyon were desperate to keep hold of Gusto until the end of the season at least. Chelsea, ideally, would have liked Gusto to come and play immediately and provide cover for Reece James, who has struggled with injury problems recently.
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However, eventually a €30million (£26.3million) deal was agreed and Gusto will stay in Lyon for the remainder of the season. Chelsea, though, were willing for that to happen and would rather be patient and wait for Gusto than go out and spend money on another right-back. That's how highly he is rated at Stamford Bridge.
Die-hard Lyon supporter and expert, Nicholas Mamo, has spoken about the departure of Gusto and what he will bring to Chelsea. Mamo explained just how speedy Gusto is and even compared him to Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy, but did admit there is room for improvement.
"Gusto is a very athletic player – Juninho, Lyon's ex-sporting director said he's as fast as Mbappe the other day," Mamo told football.london in an exclusive interview when asked to describe Gusto's playing style. "He started off as a midfielder, and it shows: he's quite offensive and has a mean cross.
"He reminds me of Ferland Mendy when he was at Lyon. However, his decision-making, such as when to press, and his positioning, leave a lot to be desired. That said, Lyon has had defensive woes for a long time, so it could also be a coaching issue. Either way, he will need to improve, especially defensively, to impose himself at Chelsea, or otherwise play at right wing-back with centre-backs covering him."
Gusto will arrive at Chelsea in the summer and immediately provide back-up to James but it will be interesting to see if he can compete with one of the best right-backs in world football. Patience is required. It is something Gusto got accustomed to when at Lyon, however, as Mamo adds.
"He was patient at Lyon, when [Leo] Dubois was still at the club," the Lyon expert said. "Maybe he was patient to a fault. We [Lyon fans] didn't really like Dubois, who was a good crosser, but average at everything else. But that was when he was 18.
"It is a pity he is leaving so soon after just a year as a starter. I think he needs to play, but I don't know how he will handle the competition. It's up to Potter to find the right balance."
With James being as good as he is – and we all know just how good he is – it could of course impact Gusto's development. But for Chelsea, it's critical they find the right balance with the Frenchman.
There is genuine belief at the club that Gusto can develop into a world-class talent. This is something that is echoed by Mamo, who highlighted the importance of how Chelsea approach the situation.
"I think he could become world-class but much depends on what happens at Chelsea," Mamo said. "Will he play and gain experience? How will Potter play him? Will he improve his defensive flaws? The one thing that he has going for him is that full-backs like him are very rare to come by."
It's a very exciting move for Chelsea. The club have spent the last couple of years looking at right-backs from across the world to try and find their ideal profile. Gusto is that man.
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