Who is Marc Guiu? Barcelona's latest La Masia wonderkid
Cameron Smith
- 23 Oct 2023 13:10 BST
- 5 min read
With Barcelona failing to break down a resolute Athletic Club backline that included goalkeeper Unai Simon, Blaugrana boss Xavi turned to 17-year-old academy star Marc Guiu.
Just 33 seconds after he replaced Fermin Lopez, Guiu latched onto a Joao Felix through-ball, took one touch to set himself, before sliding a right-footed finish under Simon to seal a 1-0 win for Barcelona.
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As a result, Guiu scored with just his second ever touch for Barcelona’s first-team and he became the club’s youngest ever goal-scoring debutant in history.
He was a relative unknown before the historic goal on October 22, 2023, but who is Marc Guiu and how good can he become?
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What position does Marc Guiu play in?
Guiu is a centre forward, who thrives down the middle.
How good is Marc Guiu?
Good enough for Xavi to turn to him amid a slight injury crisis at Camp Nou. With Robert Lewandowski sidelined, Joao Felix, Ferran Torres and Fermin Lopez formed Barca’s front three against Athletic Club and the lack of a pure number nine was evident.
Guiu’s introduction was therefore needed and he delivered the goods on his Blaugrana debut. The Spaniard came through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, having joined aged seven, and Xavi was keen to praise the teenager after his goal-scoring debut.
INCREDIBLE!! 🤩
It's a fairytale start to life in LaLiga for 17-year-old Marc Guiu who scores 30 seconds into his Barcelona debut! 🔥
He was born in 2006... 👀 pic.twitter.com/1YmZHKTfbT— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 22, 2023
"I personally like Marc Guiu,” the Blaugrana boss said. “I've always said that I have no problem looking at La Masia players. You have to give them trust.
“When you see that the kid is ready, you take him to the playground. Guiu's face on the bench didn't look scared.
“He was looking at me with the 'coach, put me on' face. I saw that he was ready and I subbed him in. You can tell that he can score goals, and everything went well. I'm so happy.”
Furthermore, Guiu is not the usual profile of player that La Masia produces. Barcelona academy coach Ivan Carrasco told SPORT: “He’s a specialist in the area, not the typical Barcelona player.
“He doesn’t stand out for his combination play but in the area he has brutal heading ability and he has a power and speed on the run that make him very dangerous when there is space. He has fighting spirit, he never gives a ball up for lost and when it comes to pressing he is an animal.”
The forward’s first 12 Spain U17 caps yielded eight goals and he netted four times during Spain’s run to the U17 European Championship semi-finals in 2023. Guiu now has a senior Barcelona goal to go alongside those achievements at youth level.
What clubs are interested in signing Marc Guiu?
Guiu has not yet attracted transfer interest from other clubs, but his emergence onto the senior stage will likely have alerted Europe’s top teams.
✍️ Apunten su nombre: 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗨. #LALIGAEASPORTS | @FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/zAVuJH81Sk
— LALIGA (@LaLiga) October 22, 2023
However, it seems unlikely he will leave Barcelona as things stand.
When does Marc Guiu’s contract expire?
Guiu’s current contract at Barcelona runs until June 30, 2025.
How old is Marc Guiu?
Guiu was born on January 4, 2006. He is 17 years old at the time of writing.
What is Marc Guiu’s Instagram?
Guiu’s Instagram account is @marcguiu9. He has 583k followers as of October 2023. Guiu had less than 50k followers on the social media app before he scored against Athletic Club.
