Chelsea ‘lining up a bid’ for Olympique Lyonnais right back Malo Gusto — report

Chelsea continue to spend large amounts with great gusto, and the latest avenue for that spending could be by way of a man named Malo Gusto. Well, teenager.

Gusto, 19, has impressed at Olympique Lyonnais over the past season and a half, and has generated plenty of interest thanks in part to a contract that’s expiring in 18 months. Chelsea were not the first team to be linked, and we probably won’t be the last, but we might be the first to make a serious attempt.

According to the Telegraph, we are “lining up a bid” for this final week of the January transfer window, which isn’t exactly great timing but we’ve left this great need in the squad (backup right back) go unaddressed so far and needs must (see also: midfielder). We might remember Lyon putting up quite a fight this time last year (and winning it) when we tried to get one of our own players back from his loan (Emerson Palmieri, who’s now with West Ham), so we might have to indeed grease the wheels quite a bit if we want to avoid a similar outcome.

The Telegraph’s report — which repeatedly misspells incoming technical director Laurence Stewart’s name as Laurence “Stuart” — doesn’t say how much we’re lining up for this bid that’s being lined up, but €30m was the going rate in previous rumors. It adds that midfielder is still on the shopping list as well, with the usual names mentioned in Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo ... and Franck Kessié on loan (LOL)?