Who is Marc Guiu? The Chelsea wonderkid who came through La Masia

Cameron Smith

• 1 Jul 2024 16:32 BST
• 5 min read

Chelsea are hoping that Marc Guiu can become their next great striker.

In the summer of 2024, the Blues snapped up the 18-year-old for just €6 million after triggering a release clause Barcelona were desperately trying to get rid of. The centre-forward had snubbed a bumper contract offer from his boyhood club in favour of a move to Chelsea.

Guiu rose to prominence at Barcelona during the disappointing 2023/24 season, when former head coach Xavi turned to the then-17-year-old to get them out of trouble against Athletic Club.

Just 33 seconds after he replaced Fermin Lopez, Guiu latched onto a Joao Felix through-ball, took one touch to set himself, before sliding a right-footed finish under Simon to seal a 1-0 win for Barcelona.

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As a result, Guiu scored with just his second-ever touch for Barcelona’s first-team and he became the club’s youngest-ever goal-scoring debutant in history.

He was a relative unknown before the historic goal on October 22, 2023 and now he is playing for one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League.

But who is Marc Guiu and how good can he become?

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What position does Marc Guiu play in?

Guiu is a centre forward, who thrives down the middle.

How good is Marc Guiu?

Good enough for Xavi to turn to him amid a slight injury crisis at Camp Nou. With Robert Lewandowski side-lined, Joao Felix, Ferran Torres, and Fermin Lopez formed Barca’s front three against Athletic Club and the lack of a pure number nine was evident.

Guiu’s introduction was therefore needed and he delivered the goods on his Blaugrana debut. The Spaniard came through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, having joined aged seven, and Xavi was keen to praise the teenager after his goal-scoring debut.

"I personally like Marc Guiu,” the Blaugrana boss said. “I've always said that I have no problem looking at La Masia players. You have to give them trust.

“When you see that the kid is ready, you take him to the playground. Guiu's face on the bench didn't look scared.

“He was looking at me with the 'coach, put me on' face. I saw that he was ready and I subbed him in. You can tell that he can score goals, and everything went well. I'm so happy.”

Furthermore, Guiu is not the usual profile of player that La Masia produces. Barcelona academy coach Ivan Carrasco told SPORT: “He’s a specialist in the area, not the typical Barcelona player.

“He doesn’t stand out for his combination play but in the area he has brutal heading ability and he has a power and speed on the run that make him very dangerous when there is space. He has fighting spirit, he never gives a ball up for lost and when it comes to pressing he is an animal.”

The forward’s first 12 Spain U17 caps yielded eight goals and he netted four times during Spain’s run to the U17 European Championship semi-finals in 2023. Guiu netted two senior Barcelona goals to go alongside those achievements at youth level.

What clubs are interested in Guiu?

Guiu only recently signed for Chelsea, so it is unlikely that he will be going anywhere anytime soon.

When does Marc Guiu’s contract expire?

Guiu’s current contract at Chelsea runs until June 30, 2030 with the option for a further year.

How old is Marc Guiu?

Guiu was born on January 4, 2006. He is 18 years old at the time of writing.

What is Marc Guiu’s Instagram?

Guiu’s Instagram account is @marcguiu9. He has 1.5m followers as of July 2024. Guiu had fewer than 50k followers on the social media app before he scored against Athletic Club.