Laurent Blanc on Malo Gusto: “He signed for six years at Chelsea after a year as a starter in Ligue 1.” | OneFootball

OL has not had the type of transfer window they may have hoped to have up to this point, but one small victory was hanging onto Malo Gusto for the rest of the season. As we now know the 19-year-old France youth international is headed to the Premier League next season for a transfer fee of around 40M€.

Head coach Laurent Blanc spoke about the move for his starting right-back and his thoughts on him finishing the season with the club explaining, “We are all happy for him. If he is in this situation it is primarily thanks to him and because there are people who believe in him. It’s a good thing to stay because he still has some progress to make. He will go to Chelsea even better than he is. I don’t think there is any disappointment in him. It’s extraordinary what is happening to him because he signed for six years at Chelsea after a year as a starter in Ligue 1 . Kudos to him. Let him give us a good four months because it would do us good and it would help him too.”

Gusto finishing the season with OL not only helps the young defender prepare for the Premier League. It also allows Laurent Blanc, who has been unhappy with the recruiting during the transfer window, to buy time to find a replacement. As a player, he has everything a right-back needs to be successful in England. His size and speed are excellent for his position and he has the ability to make offensive contributions with his passing and dribbling. This could be the move that takes him to the next level for club and country.

GFFN | Tony DesRois