Chelsea completed the signing of Barcelona striker Marc Guiu after agreeing to pay the teenager’s €6 million ($6.4 million) release clause, the club announced on Monday.

Guiu, 18, joined the Premier League club after deciding to leave Barcelona, where he had one year remaining on his contract.

 Other European clubs were also willing to meet the value of Guiu’s contract release clause, and negotiations to extend his stay at Barcelona were ongoing, but the player chose to relocate to London.

 According to ESPN, he was informed that he would be joining the first-team squad at Chelsea, which was a major factor in his decision.

Marc Guiu has joined Chelsea from Barcelona in a €6 million deal. 

Guiu joined Barcelona as a seven-year-old and, after progressing through the academy, made his first-team debut this season.

He scored his first goal in only 23 seconds, helping Athletic Club to a 1-0 victory last October. He also scored in the Champions League defeat to Antwerp.

Despite signing Brazil striker Vítor Roque in January, he consistently fell behind Robert Lewandowski in the pecking order at Barça.

 As a result, despite training with the first team, Guiu finished the season playing for the B team as they pushed for promotion to Spanish football’s second tier.

He had six goals in 16 appearances for Barça Atlétic, but he did not score last week as they lost to Córdoba in the playoff final.

There is disappointment that he will be leaving the club, with sources telling ESPN that he is highly valued because, as a more traditional, tall No. 9, he possesses qualities that are not commonly found in La Masia.

According to sources inside Barça, it was a mistake to give Guiu first-team exposure, “effectively putting him in the shop window,” without first agreeing on a longer contract with the player that included a higher release clause.

This season’s breakout players, such as Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Hector Fort, and Marc Casadó, have signed contracts with lucrative release clauses.