Malo Gusto came through Lyon’s academy and made his Ligue 1 debut in 2021. He quickly became Lyon’s first-choice right-back, attracting attention for his speed and crossing.
Chelsea signed him in January 2023, loaning him back to Lyon for the rest of the season, before he moved to London that summer. He has since competed with Reece James at right-back, and the two are often used together, with one moving into midfield.
Gusto won the Conference League and the Club World Cup with Chelsea in 2025 and has been capped by France.
Playing style
Gusto is a quick, attack-minded right-back who is dangerous going forward. He makes overlapping and underlapping runs, delivers accurate crosses and is increasingly comfortable moving inside into midfield when Chelsea have the ball. Defensively he has improved steadily, using his pace to recover and becoming more disciplined in one-on-one duels. At Chelsea he has competed with Reece James for the right-back position, and coaches have often found ways to play both, with one moving into midfield. He is still developing, and his energy and athleticism make him one of the most promising full-backs in the league.
International career
Gusto represented France at every youth level and has since been called up to the senior squad, competing with Jules Koundé and others at right-back.
Career in numbers
Gusto’s senior club career, which began in 2020/21, has so far brought 201 appearances and 3 goals for 2 clubs. The 2025/26 season, with 3 goals from 49 matches for Chelsea, remains his highest tally. So far in 2026/27 he has made 6 appearances for Chelsea. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.