The striker situation at Chelsea has been one worth keeping an eye on this entire summer. They brought in Liam Delap before the Club World Cup and then added Joao Pedro to their ranks in the middle of the tournament. The Brazilian scored three goals in two starts to guide them to glory in the United States.
While the fans are delighted with those additions, it has raised questions about the future of Nicolas Jackson. He continues to be linked with clubs like Manchester United, Juventus, Inter Milan and more. But a striker has completed a Chelsea exit before him, albeit on loan.
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Sunderland have agreed a deal to sign Marc Guiu on loan from Chelsea. There is no buy option clause as he remains a part of the Blues' long-term plans. It has gotten the 'here we go'.
Guiu was signed from FC Barcelona last summer and scored six goals for Chelsea in 16 appearances, with all of them coming in Europe. But he needs to be playing more consistent football in order to continue his development. That is hard to expect at Stamford Bridge. So, leaving on loan is the right step for all parties.
'Here we go' - Fabrizio Romano confirms Chelsea striker's exit
Guiu is someone with a ton of potential. But he was not going get much playing time ahead of the likes of Pedro, Delap and Jackson.
Now, does Guiu's exit mean that Chelsea are planning to continue with Jackson? That has been the public stance from the club so far, at least.
Of course, if the right offer comes in, one would imagine that Chelsea would be open to the idea of an exit. The reality is, over the past two seasons, Jackson has shown a lot of positives. But at the same time, he has barely improved in terms of his finishing and discipline. If that does not change soon, the Blues will move on.