Guiu: ‘The whole team has helped me a lot’

Marc Guiu is one of the Chelsea players to have caught the eye during our USA Tour – and tonight he takes on a familiar foe from his time in Spain.

The 18-year-old striker, signed from Barcelona this summer, started each of our first three friendlies before coming on for the last half-hour of the weekend clash in Ohio against Manchester City.

Guiu’s strength and sharpness in the final third has impressed – and he deservedly got his first goal in the 3-0 win over Club America.

Leaving his home city of Barcelona has been a big change for the youngster, but he tells us he is settling in well to the Chelsea way.

‘I am enjoying it very much, I’m having a good time and people are behind us,’ says Guiu.

‘The whole team has helped me a lot. It’s a very young squad so that helps. We get along super well. Everyone in there, the players and the staff, have been very welcoming and supportive.

‘The tour has been very positive because you get to spend a lot of time with the whole group. That brings people closer and you can focus more on training, training, training, and that helps too on a personal level.’

Guiu’s assimilation has been aided by his family. His parents and younger sister have moved to London to be with him and help him acclimatise to his new lifestyle.

On the pitch, he has found his style of play is aligned with the demands of Enzo Maresca, with his Barca roots lending themselves to the possession-based football the new head coach favours.

Naturally, Guiu is excited about the prospect of coming up against Real Madrid today in Charlotte.

It was always the grudge match during his decade progressing through the Barcelona academy and beyond, although this would be his first taste of playing them at senior level, having been an unused sub during the Clasico last term.

It is not long until the striker will witness the competitiveness of the Premier League firsthand, and with the season fast approaching he has outlined his individual and collective targets for 2024/25.

‘Our objective is to play good football and to win. At the end of the season, if we can look back and think we’ve had a very good season, that would be a success.

‘Personally, I want to get better and better every day and do as much as I can to help the team. I don’t have an objective in terms of scoring goals or things like this, I will try to do my best.’