Man City respond to Chelsea’s £75m Malo Gusto demand as talks set to accelerate
Man City remain keen to sign Malo Gusto but will not meet Chelsea's apparent £75million valuation of his services, sources have told Football Insider.
Enzo Maresca wants to sign a new right-back this summer following his arrival at Man City.
The Citizens went through last season without starting a recognised right-back on a regular basis, as Matheus Nunes filled in from central midfield and Rico Lewis struggled for minutes.
Lewis could leave the Etihad this summer, with Maresca aiming to raid his former club for Gusto.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, City do not want to pay £75m for the Frenchman, but are expecting to hold further talks with Chelsea after the World Cup to try and get a deal over the line.
Gusto made a late cameo in France's 2-0 quarter-final win over Morocco on Thursday night, and they will now face Spain in the World Cup semi-final next week.
Man City ready Malo Gusto move despite £75m stumbling block
The 23-year-old has been considering his future in the last few weeks, with Chelsea moving to sign Atalanta's Marco Palestra to compete for places at right-back.
Gusto was made a regular by Maresca during their time together at Stamford Bridge, with two goals and six assists in 72 appearances under the Italian boss.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "Chelsea are demanding a huge figure for him right now, there’s been talk of around £75million and Man City don’t want to pay that.
"But if there is an indication that the player is ready to make the move, you would expect things to ramp up, especially after the World Cup is over with France."
What has Maresca said about Gusto in the past?
Sources have exclusively revealed to Football Insider that Chelsea are open to letting Gusto join City for the right price, so a deal could well happen if they agree on a fee.
Maresca is believed to be pushing to get a move done for the 23-year-old, having overseen numerous transfers since his appointment was made official last month.
He heaped praise on Gusto during their time together at Chelsea, especially back in November, as he said: "Malo is in consistent form. We have said many times Malo is a main player in the way we want to play. He can play in different positions.
"We like players who we can be dynamic with. Malo is one of them. We are very happy with Malo. I can say that since I joined the club, I have considered Malo a main player for us."