Chelsea AGREE transfer for wonderkid striker – David Ornstein

Enzo Maresca, Chelsea

Chelsea have reached an agreement in principle to sign Barcelona wonderkid Marc Guiu, according to David Ornstein.

Guiu has a €6 million release clause in his contract which Chelsea are now set to activate after striking a deal with the 18-year-old over a six-year contract.

A medical will be scheduled in London after the buyout is formally activated in the coming days, with Fabrizio Romano also confirming that Chelsea have informed Barcelona of their intentions.

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Guiu made three appearances in La Liga last season and came off the bench to score the winner against Athletic Bilbao 23 seconds into his senior debut, becoming the youngest and fastest debutant to score for Barca.

The teenager also scored against Antwerp in the Champions League, while also making his debut for the Spanish under-19s earlier this year.

Guiu has 12 months remaining on his contract at Barca and the Spaniards were hoping to tie him to a new deal to raise his release clause, however Chelsea moves swiftly to seemingly secure their latest wonderkid signing.

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Chelsea have been in the market for a striker all summer, going through targets such as Victor Osimhen, Samu Omorodion and Jhon Duran, however the asking prices for their targets appear to be too expensive.

The Blues are operating under tight financial constraints after their extravagant spending under Todd Boehly in the past two years.

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An enquiry has also been made to Newcastle over striker Alexander Isak, however the Swede would not be available for anything less than a record transfer fee for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side are still hoping to sign a senior alternative to Nicolas Jackson and could still return for one of their former targets, with the pursuit of Guiu likely representing a shrewd opportunity rather than a player expected to be a significant first team player.