Rumoured Liverpool transfer target has been told to find a new club; he left Van Dijk bemused
One player who’s recently been linked with a move to Liverpool has reportedly been told that he’s free to leave his current club.
Two years on from being first linked with Malo Gusto, the Reds are understood to have maintained their interest in the Chelsea full-back and even made enquiries about him during the summer (TEAMtalk).
The same outlet reported that the Blues are seemingly holding out for a world-record fee for a right-back, which is currently held by Achraf Hakimi when he joined Paris Saint-Germain for €68m (then £60m) in June 2021.
Liverpool target Gusto given green light to leave Chelsea
According to Si Phillips Talks Chelsea, Xabi Alonso has told the French defender that ‘it is time he finds a new club’, with the ex-Liverpool midfielder preferring to put his trust in Marco Palestra and Josh Acheampong for the long-term.
It’s claimed that there have been ‘no fallouts’ from Gusto apparently being told that he’s surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, with the message being delivered to him ‘respectfully’.
Signing Gusto would make little sense for Liverpool
The 23-year-old made a name for himself at Anfield just a couple of weeks ago, but not for the most positive of reasons.
The Chelsea right-back melodramatically threw himself to the ground after mild contact from Virgil van Dijk, who simply looked bemused by the Frenchman’s reaction, and he also petulantly waved his boot at the assistant referee in a futile attempt to get Bradley Barcola yellow-carded.
Those actions certainly didn’t do anything for his popularity among the natives, and it seems indicative that Alonso is apparently prepared to jettison him only a quarter of the way through his first season as Blues manager.
With all due respect to Gusto, Liverpool’s efforts to bolster their right-back options in the medium-term would be better served by trying to secure a permanent transfer for Ronald Araujo, who’s been excelling in that position since joining on loan from Barcelona in August.
It’d definitely make a lot more sense than paying upwards of £60m for the Stamford Bridge defender, especially if Jeremie Frimpong and/or Conor Bradley were to regain form and fitness in the second half of this season.
