Enzo Maresca intent on Malo Gusto signing but Man City bullish on Chelsea star’s valuation | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca is personally keen on a reunion with Malo Gusto at Manchester City, though a significant valuation gap with Chelsea threatens to complicate any deal for the 23-year-old, as per a new report.

Gusto has been strongly linked with a summer switch to the Etihad Stadium, with the France international’s profile as an attack-minded, technically refined right-back understood to fit closely with the system incoming Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca intends to implement.

Reports earlier this week revealed that sources close to the player indicated Gusto would be open to the move, lending further momentum to City’s interest ahead of what is expected to be a busy period of business for director of football Hugo Viana.

Report: City value Gusto well below Chelsea’s £75M ask

According to Sun Sport’s Jack Rosser, Maresca’s personal enthusiasm for the deal extends beyond Gusto, with City also understood to have looked into the possibility of bringing Enzo Fernandez to the Etihad Stadium from Stamford Bridge this summer.

However, the report mentions that City’s internal valuation of Gusto falls considerably short of the £75 million asking price Chelsea are currently demanding for the right-back – a gap that represents the primary obstacle to what would otherwise be a move both player and manager are understood to favour.

Chelsea’s firm stance on the fee comes amid an ongoing legal dispute between the two clubs over Maresca’s departure from Stamford Bridge, a dynamic that adds a further layer of complexity to any direct negotiations over a player the incoming City boss clearly rates highly.

Can Manchester City close the gap on Gusto?

A £75 million asking price for a right-back would represent a significant outlay, even by the standards of Manchester City’s summer rebuild, though Viana has shown little reluctance to move at pace and at scale when a target is identified as a genuine priority.

The Fernandez angle is a notable subplot, suggesting Maresca’s interest in Chelsea’s squad extends beyond a single position and that City’s recruitment department have been thorough in identifying the players best suited to the manager’s demands ahead of his formal appointment.

Whether City close the valuation gap on Gusto, explore an alternative right-back target, or pursue both avenues simultaneously remains to be seen – but with Maresca personally interest in the Frenchman, who is not believed to be a priority target for City as things stand – the pursuit is unlikely to be abandoned on the basis of Chelsea’s opening ask alone.