Liverpool's Bold Pursuit of Malo Gusto: Right-Back Solution
Liverpool are preparing a bold raid on a Premier League rival as Andoni Iraola pushes hard to fix one of the most awkward gaps in his squad.
Two weeks from the end of the window, the tempo at Anfield has finally changed. The early business was steady rather than spectacular: Victor Munoz arrived from Osasuna for £34.5 million, then Ronald Araujo came in on loan from Barcelona, a statement defensive signing confirmed on Monday.
Iraola wants more. A lot more.
Right flank under the microscope
The Liverpool rebuild has a clear headline act in attack. Bradley Barcola remains the preferred option out wide, but Paris Saint-Germain’s £145m price tag is blocking any immediate breakthrough. The plan is to find a winger who can genuinely push Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo, not just make up the numbers.
Behind that, another need has been quietly growing louder: right-back.
Since Trent Alexander-Arnold walked away to Real Madrid on a free last summer, Liverpool have never truly settled on a solution. Dominik Szoboszlai spent large chunks of last season firefighting in that role, while injuries repeatedly disrupted both Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley.
Frimpong is currently first choice, yet his profile screams wing-back more than traditional full-back. That tactical nuance is driving Liverpool toward a name that will raise eyebrows at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool eye Malo Gusto
Malo Gusto has emerged as a serious option. Chelsea insider Simon Phillips reports that Liverpool admire the 23-year-old, with Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Manchester City also in the queue.
The snag is obvious: the price.
Chelsea have set a £75m valuation, a figure steep enough that City recently walked away from talks rather than meet it. Even so, there is a twist. According to Phillips, Gusto has been pushing to leave Stamford Bridge for the past four months, and that stance could force the London club to soften their demands.
If that happens, Liverpool are ready to be part of the conversation.
Crowded at Chelsea, opportunity at Anfield
Gusto played 34 Premier League games last season, a solid return that underlined his status as one of Chelsea’s most trusted options on the right. His situation has changed quickly.
The £47m signing of Marco Palestra from Atalanta has reshaped the picture in West London. The Italian is expected to contest minutes with Reece James at right wing-back or even in midfield under Xabi Alonso, leaving Gusto squeezed in a role he once looked destined to own.
Chelsea paid £35m to bring him in from Lyon as a 19-year-old in January 2023. Since then, he has grown into one of the division’s standout young defenders. Now 16 caps deep with France, he has already made 134 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions, with three goals and 17 assists to his name.
Those numbers back up what the eye test screams: this is a full-back built for modern, high-tempo football. Gusto offers searing pace, relentless aggression and a constant attacking outlet on the flank. Drop him into Iraola’s front-foot system and he doesn’t just cover Frimpong. He challenges him.
Price versus project
For Liverpool, the equation is brutally simple. At £75m, the deal stalls. At a reduced fee, it becomes one of the most intriguing moves of the summer.
Iraola wants a right-back who can thrive as both a defender and an auxiliary winger, someone who can live in the chaos of his pressing game and still deliver in the final third. Gusto fits that brief as neatly as almost anyone on the market.
Chelsea hold the cards on the fee. Gusto holds the leverage of his desire to leave. Liverpool are watching both, waiting to see if the stand-off breaks in their favour.
If the price drops, the battle for the Frenchman’s signature will be fierce. And if Anfield becomes his next stop, the right side of Liverpool’s defence suddenly looks a lot less like a problem and a lot more like a weapon.
