Chelsea have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Lyon right-back Malo Gusto after club president Jean-Michel Aulas confirmed the youngster would remain with the French side until the summer.
Gusto has been high on the Blues' wishlist as they seek to add another body to provide competition and cover for Reece James.
The 19-year-old has been a regular feature for Lyon this season having started 15 of 19 league games, and his performances have not gone unnoticed.
However, while Chelsea may have been confident of landing Gusto before Tuesday's January transfer deadline, their quest to sign the teenager has seemingly been derailed by Aulas.
"Since I am actively participating with Vincent Bruno Laurent in this great winter movement, I have the pleasure of confirming the team on KTE but also of specifying that Malo, a great hope for OL, will continue to play with OL in less until 06/30/23," Aulas tweeted on Thursday afternoon.
That being said, Aulas may be using his social media account to leverage a better deal for Lyon and for good reason, with Gusto ranking third for key passes (21) of teenagers in Europe's top five leagues this season.
