Joe Cole has doubled down on likening Marc Guiu to Luis Suarez.
After the teenage striker scored his second and third Chelsea goals against Astana last week, Cole claimed the player "must have watched Luis Suarez as a young man at Barcelona" because of the aggression, energy and movement displayed during that performance. Guiu then impressed again with a hat-trick in the 5-1 win over Shamrock Rovers.
Since signing from the Catalan club during the summer transfer window, the 18-year-old has scored six goals in as many starts for the club after getting his first in the 8-0 victory over FC Noah. After singling the striker out for praise in Kazakhstan, further praise came from Cole at Stamford Bridge a week later.
"I likened him to Suarez, and I got a lot of stick for it," Cole said on Thursday. "I'm not saying he is Luis Suarez now, but what he's got is that instinct and bravery. He's thinking 'I'm going to gamble' and he commits at full pace."
Cole continued: "How have Barcelona let him go? He's 18 years of age, and this kid, in two years' time, could be an established, unbelievable No. 9. He can go all the way.
"I watch him and things you can't teach, he's already got. He knows how to get in the box, his instinct, his aggression, and he's brave. You can brush up on all the other things in his game. He's 18, playing with a smile on his face; I think Barcelona have made a real mistake there."
Cole also believes Guiu could contribute to Chelsea's Premier League campaign over the coming months. "He'll be a nightmare for the last 20 minutes of a game if you're a centre-half and your legs have been tested, and this kid comes on and he's pressing you," the pundit said. "He's almost in a Catch-22 because he could do with going somewhere and getting 20 games in the Premier League, and he'll be a better player, but you don't want to let him go out the door because I think he'll have a say in the second half of the season."
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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