Xabi Alonso ready to giftwrap £73m Chelsea star for Liverpool
Liverpool have been struggling at right-back ever since Trent Alexander-Arnold left the club for Real Madrid.
Richard Hughes offered Conor Bradley a contract extension - and added Jeremie Frimpong for around £30m from Bayer Leverkusen.
But Bradley has been out of action since January owing to a bad knee injury and Frimpong has appeared ill at ease at right-back throughout an uncertain first year at Anfield.
Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and Dominic Szoboszlai are among the players tried at right-back under Arne Slot last season.
And it’s apparent that a decent option in the position would be welcomed in this summer window. That is of course so long as the price is right - with sporting director Hughes already committed to spending big on a forward.
Liverpool consider Malo Gusto
A solution could be to add Malo Gusto from Chelsea - with the French defender uncertain of his place under Xabi Alonso.
A report in Fichajes is claiming that the 23-year-old France international is a confirmed target for Iraola and Liverpool - but Chelsea are currently holding out for an eye-watering fee.
“The London club still has several issues to resolve,” the report reads.
“One of them could be the situation of this French defender, capable of playing on either flank, as he is a player sought after by another top team, Liverpool.
“To let him go, the Stamford Bridge club had set a price of around €85 million.”
Chelsea value Malo Gusto at £73m
That’s nearly £73m for the full-back - by no means an easy deal for the Reds to conclude. However should talks progress favourably - claims the report - then there remains a chance that Chelsea could compromise on the fee.
“He's a key addition to help solidify the squad with which Andoni Iraola will be aiming for titles,” the report reads.
“And Chelsea might be willing to lower their asking price for this player.”
Xabi Alonso could lower price for Malo Gusto
Gusto joined Chelsea from Lyon back in 2023 after showing strong form for his boyhood club as a teenager. He is under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2030 - emphasising that Chelsea remain in control of his transfer destiny.
Manchester City are also thought to be sniffing around Gusto - with the Cityzens’ new coach Enzo Maresca acquainted with the full-back from his time as Chelsea boss.
We are currently waiting to see how Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea will line up for the new season ahead. The Blues have signed Marco Palestra for wing-back from Atalanta and have also been experimenting with using Pedro Neto in that position.
Those developments could leave Gusto without a starting berth and facing the prospect of looking elsewhere. If there’s a deal to be done for Gusto then Richard Hughes would be wise to consider it.
