Marc Guiu Edging Towards Chelsea Exit as Napoli Pursue Striker

Marc Guiu is edging towards the Chelsea exit door, with Napoli pushing hard to win the race for the young striker before the transfer deadline.

The 20-year-old is understood to be weighing up three concrete offers, with clubs from Italy, Spain and Germany all on the table. Some want him on loan. Others are ready to buy. Chelsea, crucially, are listening.

Napoli circle as Chelsea clear the decks

Napoli are exploring a permanent deal for Guiu, who managed three goals in 16 appearances across all competitions in his first season at Stamford Bridge. They are already deep in business with Chelsea, having agreed an initial season-long loan for defender Benoit Badiashile, and their gaze has drifted towards the Blues’ forward line.

Their interest does not stop with Guiu. Napoli have also looked at Nicolas Jackson, but the £65million valuation has effectively shut that door for now. Guiu, by contrast, is seen as a more attainable target, with Chelsea valuing the former Barcelona forward at around £25m despite his limited minutes since arriving in 2024 for £5m.

For a La Masia graduate who arrived with hype but little game time to back it up, this feels like a crossroads already.

Alonso’s plans leave Guiu on the outside

The message from Cobham is clear: Guiu is not part of Xabi Alonso’s immediate plans. The new head coach did not even hand him a squad number ahead of Chelsea’s opening Premier League fixture against Fulham on Monday night. Symbolic decisions like that tend to tell their own story.

Chelsea are actively trimming the squad in the final week of the window, and the attacking department is front and centre. Jackson, Guiu and Liam Delap are all available for the right offer as Alonso sharpens his options around a clear first-choice No9.

Jackson and Delap attract a crowd

Jackson will not be short of suitors. Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid are among the clubs monitoring his situation, though any move will have to contend with that hefty £65m price tag.

Delap, meanwhile, has become one of the more intriguing names on the market. Everton, Nottingham Forest and former club Ipswich are all keen, while Serie A side Como are also in the mix after already taking Trevoh Chalobah from Chelsea earlier in the window.

Chelsea have set Delap’s price at around £50m, despite him scoring just two goals in all competitions last season. The club are determined to bank a profit on the £30m they paid to beat Manchester United to his signature last summer, and Ipswich are watching closely too, having inserted a sell-on clause into that deal.

Joao Pedro the main man

Amid all the movement and speculation, one thing is settled: Chelsea will start the new campaign with Joao Pedro as their first-choice striker.

The Brazilian has impressed since arriving from Brighton last summer, his form convincing the club to hand him a new long-term contract running until 2034, complete with a pay rise and improved terms. The attack will be built around him.

The question now is who will be left standing alongside him once the window slams shut – and whether Marc Guiu’s Chelsea story ends before it ever really began.