Liverpool’s deadline-day move for Chelsea defender Malo Gusto collapses

Liverpool needed a right-back. Chelsea had one they wanted. The two clubs simply could not agree on the terms, and when September 1 ran out, so did the deal. Liverpool’s attempt to sign Chelsea defender Malo Gusto on a deadline-day loan fell apart after Chelsea, under manager Xabi Alonso, refused to let the 23-year-old leave on anything less than a permanent transfer. Liverpool had no intention of committing to a full purchase at Chelsea’s reported valuation of around £75M, so the French full-back stayed exactly where he was. Why Liverpool wanted Gusto so badly Liverpool’s first-choice right-back Conor Bradley suffered a long-term knee injury, leaving a genuine gap in Arne Slot’s defensive options heading into the 2026-27 campaign. The 23-year-old has spent three seasons at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea signed him from Lyon in 2023 for €35M (roughly £30.7M at the time). That fee already looks like a bargain now, with Chelsea placing a valuation more than double that figure on any permanent deal. He started both of Chelsea’s opening Premier League matches this season. Liverpool came in with a straightforward loan proposal, no obligation to buy attached. Chelsea said no. A summer of ...