Chelsea consider recalling Marc Guiu from Sunderland loan as striker search continues

Chelsea are weighing up bringing back teenager Marc Guiu from his loan at Sunderland as they reassess their attacking options following Liam Delap’s injury and uncertainty surrounding Nicolas Jackson’s future, Sport360NG reports.

The Blues had agreed to let Jackson, 24, complete a medical with Bayern Munich ahead of a proposed £13m loan deal, which also carried a £56.2m option to buy. However, that agreement was pulled late on Saturday after Delap sustained a hamstring problem during the 2-0 victory over Fulham. Jackson has since been instructed to return to London, though Bayern still retain the option to pursue a permanent transfer.

Chelsea had earmarked Sporting forward Conrad Harder as their preferred replacement, but the 20-year-old is in advanced negotiations with RB Leipzig, where he is lined up to replace new Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko. Leipzig’s offer of a central role is thought to be more appealing than the squad position Chelsea could provide.

With that move unlikely, Chelsea are now moving towards recalling 19-year-old Guiu from Sunderland. The striker, signed from Barcelona for £5m last summer, has scored once in three appearances for the Black Cats, and his recall would force the Championship club back into the market for a replacement.

Manager Enzo Maresca is planning around three possible striker scenarios before the transfer deadline: securing Harder and selling Jackson, bringing Guiu back early, or reinstating Jackson. The latter option is proving complicated, particularly after Jackson’s agent, Diomansy Kamara, dismissed the idea of a U-turn, saying: “We are not going back. The plane doesn’t go backwards.”

Chelsea face a frantic final day of business, with the window shutting at 19:00 BST on Monday. Brighton’s Facundo Buonanotte is expected to arrive on loan, while an approach for Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez now appears unlikely after he featured in La Liga on Sunday.

The club also remain keen to offload several unwanted players, including Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi and David Datro Fofana.