Official | RB Leipzig complete striker reshuffle with Marc Guiu arrival and Conrad Harder loan

RB Leipzig have officially completed a significant deadline-day reshuffle of their attacking corps, signing Spanish striker Marc Guiu permanently from Chelsea while allowing Conrad Harder to join Racing Strasbourg on loan. Guiu has signed a five-year contract through June 30, 2031 and will wear the No. 9 shirt in Saxony.

Transfermarkt reports that Chelsea can receive up to €17m including realistically achievable bonuses, while the Premier League club are also reportedly protected by a sell-on clause. The confirmation brings to completion a move Get German Football News reported on late last week, when Leipzig reached a full agreement to sign Guiu for a fee below €20m.

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Harder, meanwhile, will spend the entire 2026/27 campaign with Strasbourg. The Ligue 1 club will reportedly cover the Danish striker's salary, while crucially no purchase option has been included in the agreement. GGFN reported on the impending Guiu-Harder exchange as part of Leipzig's frantic late-window business, with the Chelsea striker effectively taking the squad place vacated by the 21-year-old Dane.

RB Leipzig hand Guiu the No. 9 shirt

Guiu arrives in Leipzig after an unusual two years in England. The Barcelona academy product joined Chelsea in 2024 after the London club triggered his €6m release clause. The Spain youth international subsequently made 29 competitive appearances for Chelsea, registering eight goals and two assists.

His most impressive production came during Chelsea's successful 2024/25 Conference League campaign. Guiu scored six times in seven appearances as the Blues lifted the trophy. Regular Premier League opportunities proved considerably harder to secure.

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Guiu was sent on loan to Sunderland in an attempt to obtain greater playing time, only for the spell to be terminated after less than a month. His pathway at Chelsea remained crowded thereafter amid the club's extensive collection of attacking talent.

Leipzig now offer the 20-year-old a substantially clearer developmental route.

The decision to immediately hand Guiu the No. 9 shirt provides an obvious indication of the role RB expect him to occupy. His pressing intensity, pace and penalty-box presence also align closely with the type of center-forward Leipzig have traditionally sought.

Harder leaves after difficult first Leipzig season

Guiu's arrival simultaneously reduces the available pathway for Harder. Leipzig invested approximately €24m to sign the Denmark international from Sporting CP last summer, but the move never developed as quickly as hoped.

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Harder made 34 competitive appearances during his first season in Germany, recording four goals and four assists. Much of his work nevertheless came from the bench rather than as an established starter. Even during Leipzig's successful DFB-Pokal opener against Eintracht Trier, Harder again began among the substitutes before entering and scoring.

Statements on Leipzig's striker reshuffle

"The move to RB Leipzig is exactly the right step for me," Guiu said in the club announcement. "Those responsible made a great effort to sign me and showed me a clear plan in our discussions regarding the role I can take on here. RB Leipzig repeatedly shows that young players can develop here at the highest level. At the same time, RBL is an ambitious club with major objectives in every competition. I want to contribute to that while continuing to work on myself every day."

Leipzig sporting CEO Marcel Schäfer also explained what convinced the club to invest in Guiu.

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"Marc fits our RB DNA very well with his intensity, high pace and incredible willingness to work," Schäfer said. "Especially against the ball, he brings enormous energy, but he is also present in the penalty area and has a clear drive toward goal. Despite being only 20, he has already played at the highest level and in the Champions League. We are convinced that he can help us immediately."

Schäfer separately explained the reasoning behind Harder's temporary departure.

"For Conrad, this phase of his development is primarily about being on the pitch regularly and collecting as many minutes as possible at a high level," Schäfer said. "Strasbourg offers very good conditions for this with a young, ambitious team and a modern, attacking approach. We are convinced that this is the right step for Conrad to continue developing."

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