Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Strasbourg star Valentin Barco, as per Caught Offside.
After joining Brighton and Hove Albion from Argentinian giants Boca Juniors, the 21-year-old struggled to find his feet in the Premier League. Therefore, he went out on loan to Sevilla ahead of last season to play regularly and develop his career.
However, he failed to break into the Andalusian side’s starting line-up, so the Seagulls opted to bring him back in mid-season. Barco joined Strasbourg on a loan deal in January and displayed glimpses of his qualities in Ligue 1 last term.
Therefore, they decided to secure his service permanently last summer. He started his career as a left-back, but Lian Rosenior has made him a midfielder. In 13 league starts, he has made five goal contributions thus far this season, helping his side push for a European place finish.
After showcasing his qualities in the French top flight, Barco was called up to the Argentina national football team for the last international fixtures.
Now, Caught Offside claim that after being impressed by Barco’s performances for Strasbourg, Chelsea have registered their interest in signing him.
However, purchasing the youngster won’t be straightforward for the West London club as Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are also plotting a swoop.
Chelsea and Strasbourg are owned by Todd Boehly, which might give the Blues an edge in this race. Moreover, the two clubs have done a few businesses in recent years.
Barco to Chelsea
The South American is valued at around £13m by Transfermarkt and still has three and a half years left in his current contract. So, Strasbourg are likely to demand a sizable amount of money to let their star man leave.
Barco is a technically gifted left-footed midfielder. He is efficient in playing threading passes between the lines and is also efficient in defensive contributions.
The former Brighton star possesses the necessary attributes to flourish in Enzo Maresca’s possession-based system. So, he would be a great coup for Chelsea should they purchase him.
However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the West London club eventually make a concrete approach to lure Barco to Stamford Bridge in January or next summer.
