PSG Eyes Malo Gusto After Mallorca Defeat

Sixty-seven days after lifting the Champions League for the second time, Paris Saint-Germain were dragged back to reality with a thud.

Their first outing of the summer, a 3-0 defeat to a freshly relegated Real Mallorca side, underlined how far this squad still is from its European peak. Yes, a sizeable group of internationals were missing. Yes, it was a friendly in early August. But the scoreline still stung.

Behind the scenes, the reaction is clear: PSG want reinforcements, and they want them quickly.

A squad still under construction

The champions of Europe are not behaving like a club content to stand still. Deals for Lucas Digne and Magnes Akliouche are edging towards completion, even if neither has been made official yet. Both would add depth and familiarity with Ligue 1, but they are only part of a broader rebuilding job.

PSG are also locked in more complex talks for goalkeeper Zion Suzuki of Parma and Ajax winger Mika Godts. Those negotiations are dragging, the kind that require patience and compromise, but they show the scale of the recruitment drive in Paris.

And then another name has entered the frame.

Malo Gusto, the new French target

According to English newspaper The Sun, PSG have set their sights on Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto. It is a move that fits a pattern: young, French, technically sharp, and already tested at the highest level.

Gusto, 23, grew up in Décines-Charpieu and came through the academy at Olympique Lyonnais before Chelsea paid 35 million euros for him in 2023. At Stamford Bridge he has not just survived, he has thrived. Last season he played 49 matches in all competitions, scoring 3 goals and supplying 5 assists, and earned a place in France’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

That kind of output from full-back is exactly what modern elite clubs crave. It is also exactly what drives his price up.

A costly alternative to Hakimi

Manchester City, also in the market for a right-back, have tracked Gusto as well. Chelsea, for their part, are not shutting the door. The London club are open to a sale, particularly after the arrival of Marco Balestra, which crowds the competition on the flanks even further.

The problem is the number.

Gusto is valued at 87 million euros. For a player Chelsea bought for 35 million just a year earlier, that is a steep climb. Even for PSG, a club used to operating at the top end of the market, that figure forces a pause.

According to The Sun, PSG are running the rule over the deal, weighing whether the outlay makes sense. Luis Enrique likes what he sees: Gusto’s athleticism, his aggression high up the pitch, his ability to contribute in the final third. The coach has reportedly approved him as a genuine alternative to Achraf Hakimi on the right.

That is a significant endorsement. It is not, however, a guarantee.

Hakimi, Zaïre-Emery and a shifting priority

Right-back was not meant to be a headline issue in this window. Hakimi remains one of the best in the world in his position, and Warren Zaïre-Emery has impressed when asked to cover the role, his maturity and versatility giving Enrique extra flexibility.

Those performances had cooled any urgency to recruit in that area. PSG’s focus lay elsewhere: depth in defence, fresh legs in midfield, competition in goal, more variety in attack.

But football plans rarely stay fixed for long. The Mallorca defeat, the demands of another long season, and the chance to sign a France international entering his prime have combined to push Gusto’s name higher up the list.

A deal on the table, but not yet in motion

For now, the Gusto operation sits in the “under study” pile in Paris. In France, no one has confirmed that PSG will move decisively, and there is no agreement in sight. The club are crunching the numbers, testing whether an 87 million euro right-back makes sense in a squad that still needs work in several positions.

What is certain is Chelsea’s stance: they are ready to listen. Balestra’s arrival gives them cover, and Gusto’s market value offers a chance for a sizeable profit.

PSG, fresh from a humbling 3-0 reminder that the Champions League trophy guarantees nothing for the season ahead, must now decide: is Malo Gusto the piece worth breaking the bank for, or just an expensive luxury in a squad that still has other gaps to fill?