Fabrizio Romano says deal agreed as Ipswich and Middlesbrough miss out on £5m ace

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Fabrizio Romano appears to have confirmed the destination for an exciting £5 million centre-forward, and he will not be on his way to the Championship with Ipswich Town, Middlesbrough or Blackburn Rovers.

While a couple of other second-tier clubs have made – or are making – serious progress in pursuit of a new number nine, three other clubs with promotion ambitions are running out of time with the opening weekend only a fortnight away.

Ipswich Town are selling Nathan Broadhead to Wrexham, having already lost Liam Delap to Chelsea.

Middlesbrough remain in talks with Danny Ings, football correspondent Graeme Bailey tells EFL Analysis, but no agreement has been reached at this stage.

As for Blackburn Rovers, there are a worrying lack of alternatives to rival Makhtar Gueye at Ewood Park.

And with Marc Guiu seemingly destined to stay in the Premier League – Chelsea’s former Barcelona starlet is on the verge of joining a top-flight club after turning down moves to the second-tier – the shelf now feels that little bit barer as September approaches.

Fabrizio Romano confirms Middlesbrough and Ipswich will miss out on Marc Guiu

EFL Analysis can confirm that Ipswich hoped to replace Delap with Marc Guiu; Praying that the £30 million deal which took last season’s top scorer to Stamford Bridge would subsequently lead to the Chelsea youngster moving in the other direction.

Middlesbrough and Blackburn were among the other clubs interested in the Spain Under-19 international.

However, after Bailey stated that Guiu had reservations about dropping down a division – feeling that his development would be better suited in the Premier League – the teenage centre-forward appears destined to see his wish come true.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Sunderland have agreed a deal which makes Guiu the latest high-profile addition during a hectic summer at the Stadium of Light.

“Sunderland agree deal to sign Marc Guiu on loan from Chelsea, here we go!” Romano writes on his official X account. “Deal in place for straight loan, no buy option clause as Guiu remains part of Chelsea’s long term plans.

“Salary [will be] covered by Sunderland as he will be an important striker for [coach Regis] Le Bris’ plans.”

Guiu set for Sunderland as Southampton and Norwich make big striker signings

Likened to Samuel Eto’o by some back at Barcelona, Marc Guiu scored six goals in 16 games during an injury-hit debut season with Chelsea. All of those goals came in the Europa Conference League; La Masia graduate playing a starring role in a tournament Enzo Maresca’s team would go on to win.

“He’s a sensational boy, a hard worker, an example as a team-mate for his effort and dedication,” Ivan Carrasco, Guiu’s former Barcelona youth coach, told Diario Sport.

“He is a pure centre-forward. A classic [number] nine. A specialist in the area who lives by his physical power. His best virtue is his aerial play. Marc is also very quick and powerful, he is unstoppable with space.”

Ahead of the dawn of a new Championship campaign, the likes of Southampton and Norwich have brought in exciting, relatively high-cost centre-forwards; Damion Downs and Mathias Kvistgaarden respectively.

Swansea City are frontrunners for Richard Kone, meanwhile, after submitting a £4.5 million bid for the Wycombe Wanderers talisman this week.

EFL Analysis understand that Kone, who scored 18 League One goals last term, is another striker with admirers at Ipswich. Middlesbrough could turn to David Strelec, the 30-time Slovakia international who plays for Slovan Bratislava in his homeland.

Blackburn have been linked with Timothe Nkada, meanwhile.