In the matter of just a few days, the Chelsea interest in Marc Guiu has gone from purely speculative to very real.
AS today have a long piece explaining our interest in the striker, with some detail on how things are going. They say that the 18 year old forward represented a great opportunity for clubs because of his €6m release clause, but that it’s Chelsea who have moved hardest for him.
In fact, it seems there’s already been more contact than we expected between the two sides. They maintain that new manager Enzo Maresca “has already spoken to Guiu on several occasions.”
This is in order to present Chelsea’s sporting project to him – and it seems to be one that has convinced.
Firstly, the money on the table is “many times” what Barcelona have offered, and is basically “unbeatable” by his current team given their financial issues.
More than that, the Premier League itself “attracts” the teenager and he has been “a fan since young.” He also thinks his physical characteristics make it a good fit for him – although there’s plenty of work still to be done on his physique.
His €6m release clause means that Chelsea can basically speak directly to him, and most sources are now reporting that the youngster is already looking at personal terms offered by the Blues. If all goes to plan – and it sounds like he’s been convinced financially and competitively – he could move as soon as this week.
Selling this deal to supporters
The next question is how the club convince the other end of the equation – the supporters. They were expecting (perhaps optimistically) an elite forward like Benjamin Sesko or Victor Osimhen. They’ve ended up with a teenager with 2 league appearances to his name.
Despite his talent, it’s a new angle for sure.