Sunderland sign Chelsea teenage striker Marc Guiu

Sunderland have signed teenage Chelsea forward Marc Guiu on a season-long loan.

The Spaniard, now 19, moved to Stamford Bridge for £5m from Barcelona in July 2024 and scored six goals in 16 matches for the Blues last season.

Describing himself as "a powerful striker" and "natural goalscorer", Guiu said of his transfer to Sunderland: "This year is a huge opportunity for me to help take this team where it truly deserves to be, and I can't wait to get started."

Sunderland earned promotion to the Premier League by beating Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final in May.

Guiu becomes the Black Cats' ninth signing of the summer.

He came through Barcelona's celebrated La Masia academy and scored just 33 seconds into his debut in a 1-0 win against Athletic Bilbao in October 2023.

After moving to England, he scored three goals against Shamrock Rovers in the Conference League last season to become Chelsea's second youngest player to net a hat-trick.

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: "In a loan acquisition, we not only have to convince the player but also the parent club, and we thank Chelsea for placing their trust in us.

"Most importantly, Marc wanted to come to Sunderland and be a part of our club. The competition for his signature was significant and he had many high-quality options.

"Marc's a progressive striker who has key attributes that align with the role in our team."