Chelsea forward Marc Guiu allegedly held discussions with head coach Enzo Maresca prior to his recent increased game time.
Guiu started the campaign on loan at Sunderland, where he was expected to remain all season, until he was recalled after the injury to Liam Delap and exit of Nicolas Jackson.
For the first six games that he was available, the former Barcelona youngster either remained as an unused substitute or left completely out of the squad.
However, the 19-year-old has acted as a catalyst in Chelsea's last two fixtures with victories being recorded over Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
While Guiu did not score in those encounters, his direct running and physical presence gave Chelsea the qualities that they had been lacking since before the September international break.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca in September 2025.
Guiu holds talks with Chelsea boss Maresca
According to The Athletic, Guiu approached Maresca on the day prior to his substitute outing against Liverpool.
The report stresses that Guiu did so in a respectable manner in order to learn what parts of his game he could improve to strengthen his chances of more playing time.
Maresca is said to have understood Guiu's reasoning and respected his desire to make an impact in the first team.
He has since been rewarded with a 16-minute outing against Liverpool and a 45-minute appearance during Saturday's win over Forest.
While not playing 90 minutes since August 26 will be taken into consideration, Guiu has put himself in contention to start against Ajax on Wednesday night.
Chelsea's Marc Guiu pictured on January 11, 2025
Why Guiu is crucial to Chelsea?
With Cole Palmer out of the team, Chelsea have sometimes struggled creativity, but Joao Pedro has been required to play as a number nine rather than a 10.
Pedro was able to drop deeper against Forest once Guiu was on the pitch, there being more space for the Brazil international to impact on the game.
Meanwhile, Guiu has run in behind the defence far more than Pedro, while he is more capable of applying a intense press than the former Brighton & Hove Albion attacker.
As a result, more pressure is being placed on defenders, more space is being freed up behind Guiu, and it allows the likes of Moises Caicedo and his central-midfield teammates opportunities to reclaim possession.
ID:583976:1false2false3false: from db desktop :LenBod:collect3621: