Chelsea are lining up a bid for Lyon defender Malo Gusto before the end of the January transfer window as Todd Boehly looks to continue his extravagant spending since taking over in May.
To date, the Blues have added 14 players across two transfer windows, and have been the biggest spenders in Europe in that time, shelling out over 500m euros since the end of last season on transfer fees alone.
This month, forwards Mykhaylo Mudryk, David Datro Fofana and Noni Madueke have all joined on permanent deals along with Joao Felix on loan until the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Benoit Badiashile has joined to bolster the Blues backline, and young midfielder Andrey Santos has arrived but is not expected to play a role in the first team this season.
They remain on the hunt for a central midfielder too, with both Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez on the clubs’ radar.
For now, however, attention has been turned to finding a suitable backup to Reece James. The Englishman is Chelsea’s most important player but has missed much of the season with a knee injury, while neither Trevoh Chalobah nor Cesar Azpilicueta have inspired confidence filling in for the academy graduate.
The 19-year-old, who has played on the right of midfield as well as defence, is viewed as the perfect long-term rotation option to Reece James, and Chelsea are set to test the waters of a move this January in the coming days, despite Lyon’s desire to keep the player until the end of the season.
Out of contract in 2024, however, his value is only likely to decrease, and there is a feeling that it is a deal that can be done this January, potentially handing Potter his seventh new signing this window.
