On their return to the Championship, Kieran McKenna’s biggest task at Ipswich Town is replacing Liam Delap.
The 22-year-old was excellent for Ipswich Town in 2024/25, despite their relegation from the Premier League, scoring 12 goals in England’s top-flight.
Kieran McKenna had the luxury of working with the former Manchester City gem, but now, Delap is closing in on a £30 million move to Chelsea.
That means Ipswich will have enough funds to sign a replacement for the England under-21 international, with several targets on their radar.
Now, a promising update has emerged on the Tractor Boys’ search for a replacement.
Photo by Jan Kruger - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Jan Kruger – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Chelsea’s Marc Guiu is of interest to Ipswich Town
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Chelsea hotshot Marc Guiu is of interest to Ipswich ahead of the summer transfer window.
Marc Guiu is of interest to Ipswich. They have monitored him for a while and a loan deal with Chelsea is not out of the question.
This would be separate to the Liam Delap transfer, which requires no club-to-club negotiation as Chelsea are prepared to trigger the £30m clause.🚜 pic.twitter.com/rOlwg6GAgp
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) May 29, 2025
Although fans will feel this will be part of Delap’s exit from Portman Road, Jacobs has confirmed that this deal would be separate.
The Blues captured wonderkid Guiu for just £5 million last summer after triggering his release clause at Barcelona.
It was a shock to many when the La Masia graduate left the Spanish giants, as he scored 33 seconds into his senior debut against Atletico Bilbao in October 2023 before making a further six appearances for the first team.
Since moving to West London, the 19-year-old has been used sporadically by Enzo Maresca, featuring just three times in the Premier League while starring in the Europa Conference League.
Guiu plundered six goals in seven appearances in that competition, including a hat-trick against Shamrock Rovers on the way to Chelsea thrashing Real Betis 4-1 in the final on Thursday night.
Now, the Spaniard could get his first taste of Championship football under one of the most promising English coaches in the game, McKenna.
What Enzo Maresca has said about Guiu
Considering he’s still a teenager, Guiu has shown the maturity of someone well ahead of his years. With his exceptional pressing and prolific finishing, snapping him up on loan would be a brilliant move for Ipswich.
Chelsea have seen several of their talents star in the Championship previously before reaching first-team stardom, most notably Mason Mount and Reece James.
Guiu could be the latest to make that step, and manager Maresca spoke highly of the centre-forward after his hat-trick in December.
“Marc is improving a lot, to be honest,” Maresca said. “He is doing fantastic. Day after day he is more ready for that kind of game.”
It’s promising to see his development, and hopefully, the youngster will continue that in the second tier in 2025/26.