Marc Guiu Joins RB Leipzig After Chelsea Spell

Chelsea have given the green light for Marc Guiu’s permanent move to RB Leipzig, drawing a swift line under the young striker’s brief and curious spell at Stamford Bridge.

The 20-year-old Spain Under-21 forward is expected to join the Bundesliga club, with negotiations at an advanced stage, though sources in Germany stress that some details still need to be ironed out before the deal is officially completed.

Guiu, valued at around £25m, is set to leave Chelsea barely a year after arriving from Barcelona in 2024 for about £5m.

It is a rapid turnaround for a player once billed as one of La Masia’s most intriguing attacking prospects, and another sign of the churn in Chelsea’s evolving squad.

His time in England never truly settled. Guiu managed 29 appearances for Chelsea, scoring eight goals, six of which came in the club’s triumphant 2024-25 Conference League campaign. European nights gave him a platform; the Premier League rarely did.

A short loan spell at Sunderland last season brought only three matches and little rhythm. By this summer, the writing was on the wall. Guiu trained away from the main first-team group during pre-season, with expectations inside the club that he would move on.

Leipzig, with their track record of developing young forwards and flipping them into stars, now look ready to take the gamble Chelsea no longer wish to make.

While Guiu edges towards Germany, Chelsea’s midfield puzzle is shifting as well. Kendry Paez has been recalled from an unsuccessful loan at River Plate, the club acting to free up an overseas loan slot. The Ecuadorian teenager is now expected to head back out again, this time likely within England, as Chelsea continue to shuffle pieces in a squad built for the long term but constantly on the move.

One striker out, one prodigy redirected. The rebuild rolls on.