Earlier this month, Manchester United and Premier League legend Gary Neville insisted that Trent Alexander-Arnold, should he fix those well-publicised chinks in his defensive armour, could still become the greatest right-back ever to play the game.
“We won’t just have one of the best attacking right-backs this country has ever produced, we’ll probably have the best right-back the world has ever produced,” Neville said of Liverpool’s number 66 during Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football coverage.
“This is something unbelievably special.”
With Malo Gusto going from strength to strength across the Channel at Lyon, however, Alexander-Arnold might not even be the finest right-back of his generation, let alone of all time.
Having only turned 19 in May, the France U21 international is certainly further along in his development than Alexander-Arnold was at the same age. He made nearly 40 appearances for one of France’s biggest clubs at the age of just 18 last season; starting both of the Europa League quarter-finals with West Ham United.
And while his statistics aren’t exactly staggering just yet, that raw potential is there for all to see. Galo’s decision-making, confidence and end-product is remarkable for one so young. He’s already got that Alexander-Arnold-esque ability to locate a striker in a packed penalty area with laser-like precision.
In his first 48 league appearances for Lyon, he’s set up six goals. More than Alexander-Arnold across the same time-frame at Liverpool.
10 months after signing his first professional contract, Gusto is already a target for a who’s who of European superclubs. Including Manchester City, Barcelona and Manchester United, plus Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
90Min, meanwhile, say that Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have scouted the teenager in recent weeks too.
