Club pays tribute to player as defender makes Chelsea move
Malo Gusto has returned to Chelsea to try to build a claim for the first team under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, and Lyon has paid tribute to the defender.
In January, Chelsea paid £26.3 million to acquire the services of the French right-back from Lyon. A significant condition of the deal was that the player would return to Lyon on loan for the balance of the 2022–23 campaign.
The 20-year-old made only six appearances during the final months of the Ligue 1 season as Lyon labored to a seventh-place finish under Laurent Blanc due to a hamstring injury he sustained shortly after his move to Stamford Bridge was confirmed.
During his spell of rehabilitation, he also spent time at Chelsea’s Cobham training facility. This should serve him well as he returns to the team to try to win over new manager Pochettino when preseason training begins next month.
After progressing through the Lyon academy systems, Gusto earned a total of 61 senior appearances for the club in all competitions. The club recognized his permanent departure with a memorial video posted on their official social media accounts.
The club thanked @gusto_malo for the highlights package, saying: “Thank you! Wishing our Gone the best of luck! He has been a club member since he was 14 and was trained at the OLAcademy.
Chelsea and Pochettino will be hoping that Gusto can provide first-choice right-back Reece James the backing and competition he needs to succeed next year. James has struggled with injuries this year, and longtime captain Cesar Azpilicueta may be on the verge of leaving the team.
Gusto reflected on his time back at Chelsea earlier last year, saying, “My rehabilitation was well managed.” “The two clubs have communicated frequently about my injury. The most crucial factor was that I was able to heal well. I spoke with the employees frequently, and they visited me in London. They have consistently stood behind me.
“My family gave me a lot of support as well. There have been a lot of things mentioned that are incorrect, so I wanted to come and answer your questions. I’m a young player at the club, and I sacrificed everything for this shirt. Some people believed that I was postponing my departure from Chelsea. I was moved. Every interpretation is personal. I’ve always wanted to play and to put my all into it. It wasn’t the most relaxing circumstance. My absence was supposed to be brief.