Chelsea are set to win the race to sign Marc Guiu from Barcelona (Getty)
Chelsea have taken a step closer to signing Marc Guiu after triggering the Barcelona striker’s €6 million (£5m) release clause, according to reports in Spain.
The 18-year-old made his first-team breakthrough at Barcelona last season, scoring two goals in seven games.
But strong competition for a place in Barca’s attack resulted him being more of a regular for Barcelona B where he scored six goals in 17 appearances.
However, Guiu could have played his final game for Barca B as they were beaten in their play-off for promotion to the Segunda Division on Sunday as Chelsea have now made a move to sign the forward.
According to Gerard Romero, Chelsea have given an indication that they will pay Guiu’s release clause and the striker is in ‘advanced’ talks with the Premier League side.
Bayern Munich have also been pushing to sign Guiu this summer but it’s claimed that Chelsea are now favourites to secure the deal.
Marc Guiu is available due to a €6 million (£5m) release clause in his deal with Barcelona (Getty)
Guiu was handed his senior debut at Barcelona by Xavi last October and scored with his second touch to secure a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.
‘Marc, a local kid, makes the difference for us,’ Xavi said after Guiu made an immediate impact.
‘I have thought about him because he has a goal, a spark, and I like him personally. I have no problems looking in the academy. Quite the opposite. I give the confidence that they gave me when I was 17, 18 years old.
‘I’m surprised that they’re not scared. I see them with a spark. They look at me with a face like, ‘give me a try, and you’ll see that it’s going to be fine’.
‘I saw it with Gavi, Balde, Lamine, Fermin, and I saw Marc. He does not look scared.’
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