Chelsea In Talks To Complete 10th Transfer Deal

Premier League newcomers Sunderland have opened talks with Chelsea over a loan deal for striker Marc Guiu, football.london understands.

The Black Cats are looking to bolster their attack following promotion back to the Premier League and have identified Guiu as a potential solution ahead of the new campaign. Ipswich Town have also enquired about the Spanish striker, but Sunderland are the club in talks at the time of writing.

The 19-year-old striker featured just 16 times for the Blues in all competitions after being signed from Barcelona the summer before for around £5million. Guiu was a back-up option throughout the season for Chelsea, except in the Conference League where the Spaniard scored six goals for the west Londoners in the league phase of the competition.

A hat-trick against Shamrock Rovers at Stamford Bridge will be – to date – the highlight of his time at Chelsea thus far. Signing a five-year deal with the west Londoners just over 12 months ago, football.london understands the club still have a big belief in Guiu and his talents but they think sending him out on loan to get regular senior minutes will be beneficial for his development in the long run.

Joao Pedro and Liam Delap – who cost a combined £90million – have both arrived this summer from Brighton and Ipswich, respectively, and have leapfrogged Guiu in the No.9 pecking order at Stamford Bridge. Joao Pedro shone for the Blues in the latter stages of the FIFA Club World Cup after signing for a deal that could eventually be worth £60million, while Delap showed glimpses of his talent in the United States.

Chelsea have no plans to sell Nicolas Jackson, despite constant rumours regarding the Senegal striker’s future at Stamford Bridge. The Blues want to go into the 2025/26 season – that gets under way in just over a fortnight – with two out-and-out No.9s and a versatile forward who can cover multiple positions in the final third, football.london understands, and with Joao Pedro, Jackson and Delap, the club have just that.

Unfortunately for Guiu, he does not fit into that plan, although that is not to say he will not in the future. Sunderland have been busy this summer following their promotion to the Premier League, with seven incomings already at the Stadium of Light, including former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka, whose move was made official earlier this week.

If Chelsea were to offload Guiu, then the Spaniard would become the Blues’ 10th outgoing this summer. Mike Penders is the only other player to have left on loan thus far, with the likes of Joao Felix, Noni Madueke, Djordje Petrovic, Mathis Amougou, Bashir Humphreys, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Marcus Bettinelli all exiting permanently.