The teenager travelled to the North East on Tuesday and is now putting the finishing touches to his season-long loan deal, which will be confirmed in the next 24 hours.
Guiu was initially expected to head for the region at the weekend but that was delayed, with the 19-year-old having still been on his break following the Club World Cup, where he helped Chelsea to victory.
Despite the delay, there was never any concern that the deal would collapse, with Sunderland having reached an agreement with Chelsea at the end of last week.
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The Black Cats will pay a loan fee for Guiu and will fund all of the forward’s Chelsea wages, with the switch set to be a straight loan without a clause for a possible permanent deal next summer. Reports this week also claimed Sunderland will have to pay a penalty figure to Chelsea at the end of the season if Guiu doesn’t play a certain number of games or minutes.
Chelsea still have high hopes for Guiu in the future, with the former Barcelona youngster having made 16 appearances for the Blues in his first season at the club last term. That included seven outings in the Europa Conference League, scoring six goals.
Guiu’s arrival will be another significant box ticked for Sunderland, who always intended to strengthen their forward line this summer. He will compete with Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda, with Ahmed Abdullahi set to go out on loan.
Guiu will become the ninth signing of the summer, but Sunderland won’t stop there, with bosses still prioritising the capture of a central defender. They’re also in the market for another wide attacker.
A host of fringe players will also be allowed to leave the club.
