Chelsea fans may have to wait before they get to see Marc Guiu make his debut for Sunderland.
Sunderland signed Guiu on loan earlier this month after convincing Chelsea to send the young striker to the Stadium of Light for the season.
It was not a simple deal for Sunderland to conclude, as Guiu had other options. According to the club’s sporting director Kristjaan Speakman, Sunderland faced a lot of competition for Guiu‘s signature.
In the end, it was the newly-promoted Premier League side who were able to win the race for the 19-year-old, but Regis Le Bris’ side may have to wait a little while before they are able to benefit from his arrival.
Sunderland v Rayo Vallecano - Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Regis Le Bris keen to see how Chelsea loanee Marc Guiu reacts to increased intensity in training
Guiu and fellow new signing Arthur Masuaku did not feature in any of Sunderland’s pre-season games, meaning that they could now miss the Black Cats’ opener against West Ham United.
Le Bris wants to see if Guiu reacts well to more intense training sessions before making a decision on his involvement this Saturday. If the Spaniard does not, it looks like he will miss the game and his debut will be delayed.
“We’ll see,” Le Bris was quoted as saying by The Northern Echo when asked about Guiu and Masuaku playing this weekend. “Every day we will make an assessment of their level and see how far we can push them through the training sessions.
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“Lift the intensity, the contact. If they react well, they can then join the squad. If they don’t react well, we wait one day, two days and assess again. So we will see for next week.”
Once Guiu is up and running, he could prove to be a very good signing for Sunderland. The Spain youth international was able to make a real impact for Chelsea in the Conference League last season.
In seven appearances, Guiu scored six goals as the Blues went on to win the tournament. RB Leipzig were interested in Guiu, but it is Sunderland who will have his services in the new campaign.
Marc Guiu of Sunderland at pre-season friendly
Photo by Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Why Sunderland are under pressure to play Marc Guiu this season
When Guiu is fully up to speed and ready to play, Sunderland will be keen for Le Bris to utilise the former Barcelona youth player.
If the Frenchman chooses not to, Sunderland will have to pay Chelsea a penalty fee because of a clause in the loan agreement.