Chelsea retains Malo Gusto as player rejects loan to Atletico Madrid

Malo Gusto isn’t going anywhere. The 23-year-old French right-back has rejected a loan move to Atletico Madrid, opting instead to remain at Chelsea for the 2026-27 season. The club signed Marco Palestra from Atalanta this summer for a fee exceeding £43 million, a move that seemed to signal Gusto might be surplus to requirements, or at least not first-choice. Gusto apparently disagrees with that reading. Why Gusto said no to Madrid Gusto has made 134 appearances since arriving from Lyon in January 2023 for approximately £31 million. His contract runs through 2030, which means Chelsea has zero urgency to move him on. Earlier this summer, the club reportedly slapped a £75 million valuation on Gusto when Manchester City came sniffing around. The math works out simply: Chelsea values Gusto at more than double what they paid for him three years ago. The Palestra factor Chelsea’s acquisition of Palestra from Atalanta was the move that put Gusto’s future under the microscope. Gusto played the full 90 minutes in Chelsea’s 4-3 win over Brighton around the end of August, a match that required defensive resilience and attacking contribution in equal measure. Gusto represented France at the 202...