Chelsea star Marc Guiu believes he can succeed in the first team and is willing to fight tooth and nail to make it happen.
The forward, 19, insists he can step up for Enzo Maresca and fill the gap left by Nicolas Jackson’s exit to Bayern Munich.
Guiu admits he endured a ‘chaotic’ summer after being sent on loan to Sunderland only to be recalled 25 days later.
The Spaniard arrived at Sunderland on August 6 but returned on August 31 because Jackson was getting ready to go to Bayern and Liam Delap had been sidelined with a hamstring injury.
But Guiu has only played 17 minutes since then. Does he not feel deprived of the chance to grow and blossom at Sunderland, where he had scored once in three outings?
‘[There was] never disappointment [at leaving Sunderland]. I believe that every action I take in my career is because I want to. And that’s it, I’m going to fight in every training session, in every game, every minute I have to play as many minutes as possible,’ he told RTVE.
Marc Guiu has insisted he wants to stay and fight for a first team place at Chelsea
He had a ‘chaotic’ summer during which he was loaned to Sunderland and quickly recalled
‘We initially decided to go to Sunderland with great enthusiasm and excitement to get some minutes in the top flight and get some experience.
‘In the end, there was an injury [to Delap], and I had to return to Chelsea, now with great enthusiasm and training hard every day.
‘When Nico [Jackson] said no [to returning to Chelsea from Bayern], they called me, we talked about it, and it was quick. In the end, I want to succeed at Chelsea. And that’s how it was.
‘It was all a bit chaotic, but in the end, I’m a person who faces everything with the utmost positivity, and that’s how I faced it, now enjoying every moment, because a footballer’s career is short. And that’s what I’m doing, enjoying every moment that life gives me.
‘Now I’m at Chelsea, and that’s where I am. I’m from Chelsea, the best club in the world for me right now.
‘I’m training as much as possible to get playing time again. I want to become a regular starter and score a lot of goals.’
Chelsea signed Guiu from Barcelona in July last year for £5million, handing him a five-year deal.
However, he was mostly restricted to Europa Conference League action, memorably scoring a hat-trick against Shamrock Rovers before the Blues went on to win the competition.
Opportunities have been sparse but he is ‘enjoying every moment’ of his football journey
After that game, Joe Cole insisted he could be like Luis Suarez, telling TNT Sports: ‘I likened him to Suarez and I got a lot of stick for it. I’m not saying he is Luis Suarez now, but what he’s got is that instinct and bravery.’
His progress was stunted by a hamstring injury which sidelined him between February and May, but he was back in time for the final against Real Betis, coming on as a late substitute.
Maresca’s decision to start Tyrique George in attack against Benfica in the Champions League recently led to Chelsea supporters questioning the situation concerning Guiu.
George himself had seen a £22m move to Fulham collapse on deadline day and appears to be ahead of Guiu in the pecking order.
