Chelsea transfer news: Marc Guiu demands 'set' by Blues amid likely striker upheaval

Chelsea have reportedly set Marc Guiu's asking price at £25m as they anticipate the exit of the Spanish forward.

There stands to be plenty of upheaval in the Blues attacking ranks over the coming weeks, with Nicolas Jackson the latest to be linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge.

That development is a consequence of Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers being on the brink of a £117m transfer to the West Londoners.

With Joao Pedro and Emanuel Emegha seemingly viewed as two centre-forward options by Xabi Alonso, departures in the position are inevitable.

Even if Liam Delap moves on a permanent or temporary basis, it is unlikely to impact on the future of Guiu.

© Imago / Sports Press Photo

Chelsea set Marc Guiu asking price

According to The Athletic, BlueCo are ready to demand £25m for the former Barcelona youngster.

That is despite the 20-year-old making just one Premier League appearance - an 18-minute outing in Liam Rosenior's final game in April - during the second half of the campaign.

Chelsea chiefs are allegedly using Brighton & Hove Albion's purchase of Charalampos Kostoulas for just under £30m when he was 18 years of age as a measuring stick.

Guiu has contributed eight goals and two assists from his 29 appearances for Chelsea. However, he has just 336 minutes of Premier League football to his name across two seasons.

The report alleges that Chelsea will also consider loan proposals for a player who has three years left on his contract.

© Imago / IPS

Why Guiu loan exit makes more sense

Given that BlueCo need to recoup as much money as possible this summer, selling Guiu makes perfect sense on some level.

With Guiu costing £5m two years ago, a substantial profit could plausibly be made, but Chelsea have no realistic chance of generating the sum that they crave.

Therefore, loaning Guiu to a European club - potentially in La Liga - where he can flourish as a first choice is their best route to justifying his valuation.

Despite being six months short of his 21st birthday, Guiu remains with fewer than 1,500 minutes of football in senior matches.