Olympique Lyonnais' Malo Gusto in action with Liverpool's Roberto Firmino
Newcastle United reportedly ‘asked’ about signing right-back Malo Gusto on Friday, just hours before he signed for Premier League rivals Chelsea.
The Lowdown: Chelsea sign Gusto
The Blues confirmed the signing of the 19-year-old from Ligue 1 outfit Lyon this morning on a contract until 2030.
He has been sent back on loan to the Groupama Stadium for the rest of the season, so he will not arrive at Stamford Bridge until the summer.
The Latest: Newcastle ‘asked’ about Gusto
Taking to Twitter, football.london’s Chelsea reporter Bobby Vincent says that Newcastle ‘asked’ about signing Gusto on Friday, only ‘hours’ before he joined the west London club.
The journalist tweeted: “I’m told Newcastle asked about Gusto on Friday, just hours before Chelsea struck a deal with Lyon.”
The Verdict: Sign Ashby instead
Newcastle should not feel too aggrieved about missing out on Gusto, as they have reportedly agreed a deal to sign West Ham United right-back Harrison Ashby instead.
Hailed as ‘very dangerous’ going forward, as well as ‘very good’ at defending one-on-one situations by Vincent, Gusto has made a name for himself at Lyon.
The 19-year-old ranks in the 95th percentile of all full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for passes attempted per game, as well as in the 91st for xAG, 88th for interceptions, 85th for assists and 84th for dribbles completed, among other impressive metrics (FBref).
Nonetheless, Eddie Howe‘s focus will now be on getting Ashby in and working with him, as the Magpies look to give Kieran Trippier some competition in the right-back position.
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