Barcelona close to tying down ambitious 18-year-old forward to new contract | OneFootball

Xavi Hernandez’s decision to stay on as Barcelona manager for another 12 months, which was announced in a joint press conference on Thursday, is seen as a big boost for the club’s academy players, given that the 44-year-old has bled through several exciting prospects into the first team.

One of those is Marc Guiu, who scored on his senior debut back in October. Since then, he has gone to make another six appearances, and netted once more (vs Royal Antwerp). The 18-year-old is very highly-rated within Barcelona, and as such, moves have been made to tie him down to a new contract.

As per Sport, those negotiations are advanced, and the expectation is that an official announcement could come in the next few weeks. Guiu’s current deal expires next summer, so there is an insistence to get things done before the summer.

The report also notes that Guiu wants to stay in the Barcelona first team dynamic for next season, despite being behind Robert Lewandowski and Vitor Roque in the pecking order. He has options to go on loan, but for now, his intention to reject any temporary exit during the transfer window.