Chelsea are 'monitoring' Lyon defender Malo Gusto for a potential transfer swoop, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Blues are looking at providing competition for Reece James on the right of defence, with Graham Potter identifying Gusto as a player he may be interested in bringing to Stamford Bridge.

What is the latest news involving Gusto?

Interest in the Frenchman appears to be high, as Tuttosport outline several big clubs are battling to secure his signature, with the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus headlining the interest in Europe, while Chelsea and Manchester United are identified as the Premier League clubs looking at a deal.

That's not all, as French outlet Foot Mercato claim that Spurs have conducted a scouting mission to assess the 19-year-old, while they also name Bayern Munich as potential suitors, so there is clearly a plethora of interested parties across the continent.

The likely transfer fee to secure the services of the star is reported to be £13m according to reports from Spain, via 90min.

The France U21 international enjoyed a breakthrough season at Lyon last season, recording 30 appearances in Ligue 1, and he has continued to feature in the first team this campaign, making 14 league appearances up to this point.

What has Phillips said about Gusto?

Phillips indicates that the Blues are, at present, scouting the youngster ahead of a potential transfer, as he is seen as a potential option to challenge James for his spot on the right of the backline, telling GIVEMESPORT: "The new one I was told about was Malo Gusto of Lyon, another name that Chelsea are monitoring at the moment, and doing some scouting on in the sense that they might try to bring him in as Reece James' competition."

What are Gusto's main attributes?

Hailed for his "intelligence" by journalist Josh Bunting, the starlet has been putting in performances way beyond his years in France this season, and it is no wonder that he has caught the eye of so many of Europe's top clubs.

An average rating of 7.04, as per SofaScore, means that the "special" Gusto is one of just four players still at Lyon to be consistently above a 7, highlighting how solid he has been for the duration of the season, in both an attacking and defensive sense.

The emerging talent offers so much to his side going forward, recording an average of 0.19 assists per 90 minutes over the past year, in the 91st percentile for full-backs in that particular area - it's no surprise then he has been touted as the new Trent Alexander-Arnold by Get French Football News.

However, cutting out opposition attacks is also the youngster's forte, as he has 1.46 interceptions per 90 in the same time frame, in the 82nd percentile, displaying the fact that he does not neglect his duties in defence.