Liverpool can only make £75m Malo Gusto move if two pre-requisites met - exclusive

Liverpool should only move for £75m-rated Chelsea defender Malo Gusto if the Frenchman demonstrates two key qualities, Emile Heskey has exclusively told Sports Mole.

The Reds lacked a settled right-back option in the 2025-26 season following Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure for Real Madrid, as both Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley spent a good chunk of time in the medical bay.

Bradley is still months away from returning from a serious knee injury, although Frimpong emerged from pre-season unscathed and is on course to start the season as Andoni Iraola's first-choice right-back.

However, Liverpool have reportedly expressed an interest in Chelsea's Gusto, who is also being targeted by Manchester City as Enzo Maresca seeks a Blues reunion at the Etihad Stadium.

While Heskey is not against Liverpool signing a new right-back, the former Reds striker has insisted that Gusto must demonstrate both reliability and consistency to be worth taking a chance on.

Emile Heskey: 'Liverpool must look at right-back situation'

"A lot of the expectation was thrown into Conor Bradley, thinking that he was going to be the one. He is a fantastic player. Injuries have just hampered him," Heskey said.

"The strangest thing is, injuries have hampered Frimpong as well. We have not really seen the best of both of them. We have got brilliant options.

"We have got one who is really attack-minded, and we have got one who can actually defend. But neither of them could stay fit. We are going to have to look at that situation and say we need to get someone who can be consistent.

"That's all it is, about being consistent. Especially being a defender. If we were looking more for attacking players then that is one thing, but for a defender, you need someone who is going to be consistent and reliable."

Is Malo Gusto 'consistent and reliable'?

A common saying in football is that the greatest ability is availability, and on that front, Gusto was a reliable option for Chelsea in 2025-26, only missing four games due to illness and staying totally injury-free.

The former Lyon man has never missed more than six consecutive games for the Blues due to some sort of ailment, and while his attacking involvements are not spectacular, they are a guarantee.

Gusto has had a direct hand in 20 goals in 134 games for Chelsea, scoring three of his own and setting up five more last season, although a Blues Premier League team with the Frenchman in it failed to keep a single clean sheet in 2026.

Gusto's pace and recovery runs are admirable qualities, but the France international's defensive awareness and ability to quell tricky wingers has been called into question, so he still has work to do to become consistent and reliable on a weekly basis.

As well as giving his take on Gusto, Heskey also issued a Cody Gakpo transfer prediction while the winger continues to be linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Emile Heskey was speaking exclusively to Sports Mole on behalf of Premier League betting site BetWright.