Marc Guiu Nears Chelsea Exit as Napoli Pursues Transfer

Marc Guiu’s Chelsea career looks set to be cut short after just one season, with the young striker closing in on a move away from Stamford Bridge and Napoli pushing hardest to land him before the transfer deadline.

The 20-year-old is weighing up three concrete proposals, with clubs from Italy, Spain and Germany all on the table. Some want him on loan, others are ready to buy. The decision now rests with Guiu, but Chelsea are clearly prepared to let him go.

Napoli step up for Guiu

Napoli are exploring a permanent deal for the Spaniard, who scored three goals in 16 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea last season. They see an opportunity in a player whose path in west London has quickly narrowed.

The Serie A side are already deep in business with Chelsea. They are taking Benoit Badiashile on an initial season-long loan and have also looked at Nicolas Jackson as an attacking option. Jackson’s £65million valuation has cooled that interest, though, pushing Napoli to focus on Guiu as a more realistic target.

Chelsea value Guiu at around £25m, a sharp rise on the £5m they paid Barcelona to sign the La Masia graduate in 2024. The price reflects potential rather than impact; since arriving, he has struggled for minutes and now finds himself on the outside looking in.

Alonso makes his call

New head coach Xabi Alonso has made his stance clear. Guiu is not in his first-team plans for this season and did not even receive a squad number ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Fulham on Monday night. For a 20-year-old trying to break through, that is as blunt a message as it gets.

Chelsea, in turn, have moved into trimming mode in the final week of the window. They are open to offers for Jackson, Guiu and Liam Delap as Alonso sharpens his attacking options around a new focal point.

Jackson and Delap also in shop window

Jackson, who has had an inconsistent spell in blue, is not short of admirers. Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid are among the clubs monitoring his situation, aware that Chelsea would sell at the right price.

Delap is attracting a different cluster of suitors. Everton, Nottingham Forest and former club Ipswich all hold an interest in the 23-year-old, while Serie A side Como are also keen, having already taken Trevoh Chalobah from Chelsea earlier in the window. The Italian club see Delap as another Premier League talent who could grow with regular football.

Chelsea’s stance on Delap is bold. Despite him scoring just two goals across all competitions last season, they have set a £50m asking price. They paid £30m to beat Manchester United to his signature last summer and want to turn a profit on that investment.

Ipswich, meanwhile, are watching closely. The Championship club inserted a sell-on clause when they sold Delap to Chelsea, meaning any sizeable fee could hand them a significant windfall.

Joao Pedro the new spearhead

All of this movement points towards a clear attacking hierarchy. Chelsea will start the new campaign with Joao Pedro as their undisputed first-choice striker.

The Brazilian has been electric since arriving from Brighton last summer, his form convincing the club to tie him down to a new long-term contract running until 2034, complete with a pay rise and improved terms. Chelsea are building their forward line around him.

That leaves Guiu, Jackson and Delap at a crossroads. For Guiu, in particular, the choice now is stark: stay and stall, or go and play. With Napoli and others calling, how long can he afford to wait?