Chelsea have reportedly increased their asking price for Malo Gusto to £75 million amid growing speculation that Enzo Maresca wants to bring the French defender to Manchester City. The development comes as Xabi Alonso nears his first signing at Stamford Bridge, with Marco Palestra expected to join from Atalanta in a deal worth upwards of £43 million.
Palestra signing raises questions over Gusto future
The arrival of Palestra, a right-back, has cast doubt on the future of Gusto, who has been a key and versatile squad member over the past three seasons. Signed under Mauricio Pochettino, the 23-year-old has made 134 appearances for Chelsea, winning the Club World Cup and the Conference League under Maresca. Chelsea are open to a sale, and initial reports suggested an offer of at least £40 million would be accepted, ensuring a small profit on the £31 million spent on the former Lyon defender. However, the Daily Mail now reports that Chelsea's valuation is much higher at £75 million.
Maresca set to replace Guardiola at City
Maresca is expected to be announced as Pep Guardiola's successor at Manchester City soon, once a settlement agreement with Chelsea is reached. It was rumoured this week that Maresca is keen on reuniting with Gusto at the Etihad. City are looking to sign a new right-back and had previously shown interest in Palestra. The £75 million price tag will likely frustrate City, who have just spent a record £116 million on Nottingham Forest and England star Elliott Anderson. There is also interest in Gusto from elsewhere in Europe, and it is not known whether he is interested in a transfer.
Acheampong remains untouchable
While Gusto's Chelsea future is uncertain, the same cannot be said for teammate Josh Acheampong. The 20-year-old defender has been the subject of transfer interest and has struggled for minutes at both right-back and centre-back. The arrival of Palestra would further limit his game time, but Chelsea now view Acheampong exclusively as a centre-back and consider him one of the club's 'untouchable' players. This stance, combined with Palestra's signing and the pursuit of Crystal Palace star Maxence Lacroix, strongly suggests that Alonso plans to implement his favoured 3-4-2-1 formation, which he used successfully at Bayer Leverkusen. Chelsea's first Premier League match of the 2026/27 season is against local rivals Fulham on August 24.
