Liverpool Target Malo Gusto to Solve Right-Back Dilemma

Liverpool are lining up a bold raid on a Premier League rival as Andoni Iraola pushes hard to fix one of the glaring holes in his squad.

Two signings are already through the door – Victor Munoz for £34.5 million from Osasuna and Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona – but with just over a fortnight left in the window, that feels like a warm-up rather than the main act at Anfield. Iraola wants more. A lot more.

Attack remains the headline story. Bradley Barcola is the name at the top of Liverpool’s list, yet Paris Saint-Germain’s £145m valuation has turned talks into a staring contest. The Reds want a winger to scrap with Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo for minutes. They see that as non-negotiable.

But there’s another fault line in this squad. Right-back. And that is where the next big swing could come from.

Life after Trent: a problem that won’t go away

Since Trent Alexander-Arnold walked away to Real Madrid on a free last summer, Liverpool have been patching up the right side of their defence rather than truly replacing him.

Dominik Szoboszlai, signed to dictate games in midfield, found himself dragged into emergency duty at full-back as injuries hammered both Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley. It worked at times, but it was a workaround, not a plan.

Frimpong is now the first-choice option, yet his strengths are obvious: he’s a natural wing-back, thriving higher up the pitch. That profile leaves Liverpool exposed when they need a more traditional defender in a back four. Iraola and the recruitment team know it. Hence the growing interest in one name.

Malo Gusto.

Liverpool join the queue for Gusto

Chelsea’s French full-back has quietly become one of the most coveted defenders in Europe. According to Chelsea insider Simon Phillips, Liverpool admire the 23-year-old and are far from alone. Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Manchester City have all been circling.

The stumbling block is brutal and simple: £75m.

That is the figure Chelsea have been quoting, and it was high enough to send City backing away from negotiations. For a right-back, it’s elite money. For Gusto, Chelsea have argued, it reflects his ceiling.

The situation is shifting, though. Phillips reports that Gusto has been pushing to leave Stamford Bridge for the past four months. That pressure from the player could yet force Chelsea to soften their stance and trim the asking price.

If that happens, Liverpool are ready to pounce.

Crowded at Chelsea, opportunity at Anfield

Gusto played 34 times in the Premier League last season, a strong return that underlined his importance in West London. Now, his path suddenly looks blocked.

Chelsea have spent £47m to bring in Marco Palestra from Atalanta, with the Italian expected to compete with Reece James on the right side of Xabi Alonso’s system – whether that’s at wing-back or even stepping inside into midfield.

Two big-money rivals. One position. Someone is going to lose out, and Gusto can see the writing on the wall.

Chelsea paid £35m to sign him from Lyon as a 19-year-old in January 2023. Since then, he has grown into one of the Premier League’s standout young defenders: quick, aggressive, and comfortable operating either as a right-back in a four or as a wing-back in more expansive shapes.

The numbers tell part of the story. A 16-cap France international, 134 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions, three goals, 17 assists. The rest you see with the eye: the acceleration, the timing of his overlaps, the edge in his duels. He plays like a full-back who expects to dominate his flank, not just survive it.

At Anfield, that profile would collide directly with Frimpong’s. In the best possible way.

The price of ambition

From Liverpool’s side, the equation is straightforward. Gusto would give Iraola a powerful, all-action option at right-back, someone who can match Frimpong stride for stride going forward but also anchor a more conservative back line when required. He would raise the level of the position instantly.

The problem is the same one that sent City packing: £75m.

For now, that figure is the only thing stopping this from moving quickly. If Chelsea hold firm, Liverpool will have to decide how far they are willing to stretch in a window where they still want an elite winger and have already invested heavily in Munoz.

If Chelsea blink, though – if Gusto’s push to leave finally cracks open the door – the battle for his signature will erupt. And if Liverpool are serious about reshaping the right side of their defence, this might be the moment they have to show it.