Marc Guiu transfer latest: Leeds United interest & Chelsea preferred outcome explained amid Sunderland links
Sunderland have been credited with an interest in Chelsea striker Marc Guiu
It’s shaping up to be a busy week for Sunderland in the transfer market. The Black Cats unveiled the high profile signing of Granit Xhaka on Wednesday morning, and look to be rapidly closing in on the announcement of Dutch goalkeeper Robin Roefs too.
But another name that has emerged as a prospective target of late is Chelsea striker Marc Guiu. According to reports, the teenager could be on the move this summer, and his potential availability has alerted the attention of several clubs, including Sunderland.
But who is Guiu, what are the details of the speculation surrounding him, and where is his most likely next destination should he leave Chelsea this summer? Here’s everything you need to know...
Who is Sunderland transfer target Marc Guiu?
Guiu is a 19-year-old striker who has been on the books at Chelsea for a year, having signed from boyhood club Barcelona last summer. The Blues activated a release clause worth around £5 million to lure him to Stamford Bridge, and since then, he been predominantly used in European competition. Seven of his 16 first team outings last season came in the Europa Conference League, and over the course of those continental outings he scored six goals. Prior to leaving Barca, his seven first team appearances in Catalonia yielded two goals, including a dramatic strike on his debut that sealed a 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga.
While his smattering of senior appearances makes for a relatively small sample size, Guiu has been praised for his physicality in leading the line, as well as his willingness to press from the front and his clinical finishing.
Speaking about his player earlier this year, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said: “Marc is improving a lot, to be honest. He is doing fantastic. Day after day he is more ready for that kind of game. Sometimes the decision I take is because I see something. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not. But Marc, day after day, is more ready.”
What has been said about Marc Guiu’s future amid Sunderland transfer links?
On Wednesday, news broke regarding Guiu’s short-term future at Chelsea, with Spanish outlet Sport claiming that Sunderland are very much in the race to land him, and that a decision on where he will be playing his football next season is expected soon.
As per the continental publication, the Black Cats are currently one of two likely destinations for the attacker, with German outfit RB Leipzig also understood to be in the running for his signature.
Several clubs have reportedly expressed an interest in Guiu, but it is Sunderland who have supposedly intensified meetings with his current employers amid hopes that an agreement can be reached. From there, Sport suggest that a temporary exit is most likely at this stage. Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano corroborates that latter point, stating that Chelsea want the player’s salary fully paid over the course of a straight loan deal with no option-to-buy clause included.
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The report concludes by claiming that while the likes of Real Sociedad and AS Roma have also registered their interest in Guiu, it is Sunderland who are the “most advanced” in talks with Chelsea at present.
Elsewhere, Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has also confirmed that the Black Cats have made an approach, while online outlet TBR Football state that fellow Premier League new boys Leeds United and Burnley are keen on the starlet as well.
But in a potential blow to all three sides, Sport journalist Xavi Espinosa has taken to X to provide a further update, suggesting that Chelsea would ideally like the player to move to a club closer to London because his family is currently based in the capital. Guiu himself is said to be on holiday in Hawaii at present.
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