“He’s a very good player and can become the full package for Chelsea” – William Gallas explains why Chelsea star has improved Pochettino squad
Malo Gusto may be the “full package,” but William Gallas maintains that the Chelsea full-back needs to work on his defensive stance before he can be considered a finished product.
Gusto joined Chelsea during the summer after joining French club Lyon for a reported £26.3 million in January of last year.
Due to an injury-plagued season for team captain Reece James, the fellow right-back has had an abundance of playing time in his debut season.
Along with summer addition Cole Palmer, Gusto has emerged as one of the squad’s bright spots despite Mauricio Pochettino’s team having a generally dismal season. Former Blues center-back Gallas has praised his performances.
‘I like Malo Gusto because he likes to give everything on the pitch and he’s a defender who likes to attack,’ he told Gambling Zone.
However, the 46-year-old was keen to pinpoint the one area that his fellow countryman must improve on if he is to continue his development at Stamford Bridge.
‘First of all, he is a defender, so he still has to correct some mistakes when he’s had to defend,’ Gallas explained.
‘He looks like he’s the same profile as James, even though James is stronger. They are a little bit similar, because when they attack they like to be an asset, but they still make mistakes with positioning when defending.
‘Gusto is very good and he could be the full package if he improves on the defensive side.’
Illness saw the 20-year-old miss Chelsea’s weekend fixture against Sheffield United as the Blues slipped to another disappointing late draw.
The result has only intensified pressure on Pochettino who claimed after the result that he may need as many as five years to fix his side’s issues.
‘It is a new team with profiles in the squad that we are learning,’ he said. ‘The combination sometimes, that is why the process always takes time. It’s not a magic thing. It’s a project, a three or five-year process to build a team.’