Chelsea have reportedly made contact with Barcelona to inform them that they expect to sign Marc Guiu.
In recent days, it has been widely claimed that the Blues have identified the 18-year-old as a priority option during the summer transfer window.
The teenager has only made seven appearances in a Barcelona shirt, yet his release clause has ensured that he has emerged as an attractive option.
Bayern Munich had been hoping to steal a march on Chelsea and bring Guiu in as extra backup and competition for the likes of Harry Kane and Mathys Tel.
Instead, the Premier League giants have allegedly remained as the frontrunners to acquire the services of the starlet, with discussions having been held in recent days.
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Chelsea move closer to Guiu deal
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have formally moved to inform Barcelona that they intend to sign the La Masia graduate.
Chelsea will activate the €6m (£5.1m) release clause in Guiu's contract, taking any negotiations out of Barcelona's hands unless they convince their player to perform a U-turn.
As it stands, though, that looks unlikely, with Barcelona also aware they can boost their financial position with pure profit from Guiu's sale.
Previous reports have indicated that Guiu will be provided with the opportunity to stake his claim in Enzo Maresca's senior ranks for the 2024-25.
However, it is plausible that a switch to French club Strasbourg - also owned by BlueCo - becomes a realistic possibility if he is lacking game time by the end of August.
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What has Guiu done in his career so far?
Guiu introduced himself to Barcelona supporters in arguably the best way possible, scoring within 23 seconds of his debut against Athletic Bilbao in October.
Barcelona also went on to win that game by a 1-0 scoreline, and a second Guiu strike came in the Champions League fixture versus Royal Antwerp in December.
Nevertheless, from February onwards, he was provided with just 62 minutes of football in La Liga, spread across two matches, and Xavi did not use the prospect from March 8.
In seven appearances for the youth side after his last senior game, Guiu chipped in with just one goal and two assists, with those contributions coming in successive games.
Darren Plant
