With the financial implications that Barcelona have been going through prior to now few years, the rise of a younger participant from their famed La Masia academy has been an enormous reduction to the membership’s hierarchy. The reason being easy: a brand new star being developed inside a membership will price far lower than a participant of comparable high quality on the closely inflated switch market. And the most recent product of their youth academy is Marc Guiu.
The 17-year-old introduced his arrival in fashion, scoring the profitable aim for the Catalans towards Athletic Bilbao. This helped Barcelona hold tempo with league leaders Actual Madrid, who’re one level forward.
Guiu has been described as among the finest skills to return out of the membership just lately. Nevertheless, just some would have anticipated him to attain his first aim on his debut, the place he solely had 11 minutes to make an impression.
So, who’s Marc Guiu, and the way good is he?
Marc Guiu profileÂ
 Marc Guiu Paz was born on January 4, 2006, in Granollers, Barcelona province. Rising up in Catalonia, Guiu grew up as a Barcelona fan. In reality, he began his footballing profession at Penya Barcelonista Sant Celoni, a membership run by the followers of Barcelona. The younger striker performed three years on the membership earlier than his dream of enjoying for Barcelona got here true.
Becoming a member of La Masia in 2013, Guiu by no means regarded again. {The teenager} made fast progress within the numerous age teams. Guiu’s rise was so fast that he by no means performed lengthy for a sure age group, gaining fast promotion.
When the 2023-23 season started, Guiu acquired his first style of the senior crew on the membership after getting known as up within the pre-season. Whereas he performed no half within the first recreation towards Celta de Vigo, he did come on as an alternative choice to Robert Lewandowski within the second recreation towards Japanese aspect Vissel Kobe.
Regardless of that, nobody would have anticipated the teen to get an opportunity as quickly because the season started. Xavi, nevertheless, had different concepts as he named Guiu on the bench towards Athletic Membership. With Lewandowski unavailable for the sport, Xavi turned to the teen in quest of a aim.
And he did present it with an excellent run to first beat the offside lure earlier than calmly slotting the ball between the legs of Unai Simon. The shot that led to the objectives was his third contact of the sport.
Marc Guiu fashion of playÂ
Barcelona youth coach Ivan Carrasco has described Guiu as a typical quantity 9 who makes use of his explosive burst of tempo, which he confirmed for his first skilled aim. Standing at 1.87 metres, Guiu has the bodily body to carry off the ball from the opponents. On prime of that, he may also shortly function with the ball at a excessive tempo, which can be very useful for him, particularly with Xavi hoping to make use of him for the final components of a recreation the place the opposition can be drained.
Guiu additionally gained aerial duels in his 11-minute keep on the pitch, which reveals he’s not averse to placing strain on the defenders. Nevertheless, he’s nonetheless removed from a completed product, and solely common minutes in La Liga will assist confirm his strengths and weaknesses extra.
Marc Guiu potentialÂ
When a participant scores for Barcelona at 17, he’s sure to be a substantial expertise. Nevertheless, for the primary time of asking, Guiu has been thrown on the deep finish by Xavi and has carried out. Whereas this aim will give him excessive confidence, the opposition can be extra cautious of him.
For now, the perfect factor he can do is to maintain working exhausting with the B crew whereas additionally enjoying bit components within the senior crew. How far he’ll go stays to be seen, however the beginning indicators are promising.