Sixty-seven days after being crowned Champions League winners for the second time, Paris Saint-Germain played their first match yesterday, Wednesday. They lost 3-0 to Real Mallorca, freshly relegated to the Spanish second division.
PSG were missing a large chunk of their international players. Even so, the French club are still chasing new deals to bolster their ranks before the new season kicks off.
Lucas Digne and Magnes Akliouche both sit on the doorstep of the Parisian club, though neither signing has been officially announced.
Saint-Germain are also chasing goalkeeper Zion Suzuki (Parma) and Mika Godts (Ajax Amsterdam) in complicated deals, but negotiations rumble on.
They may not be the only names in line to join. English newspaper "The Sun" revealed that the Parisian club want another Frenchman: Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto.
Gusto, aged 23 and born in Décines-Charpieu, came through the ranks at Olympique Lyonnais before his move to Chelsea in 2023 for 35 million euros.
Last season the defender played 49 matches in all competitions with Chelsea, scoring 3 goals and providing 5 assists. He was also selected for the France squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Manchester City, hunting a right-back of their own, had put Gusto's name on their list of targets in the window, and Chelsea have not ruled out his departure. His value stands at 87 million euros, a figure considered steep despite his abilities and qualities, so it is hard to imagine PSG stumping up that kind of money.
According to "The Sun", Paris Saint-Germain are studying the Gusto deal to work out whether he is worth the outlay. The English newspaper claims his attributes appeal to PSG, and to coach Luis Enrique in particular, who has signed off on the option as an alternative to Achraf Hakimi.
This was never a priority for Paris this summer, especially after the strong performances of Warren Zaïre-Emery as a replacement for the Moroccan.
Whether the Gusto deal gets over the line for Paris remains to be seen. In France, the possibility has not been confirmed. What is certain is that Chelsea are open to selling him, especially after Marco Balestra's move to the Blues.