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Brighton have sold Valentin Barco to Strasbourg for around £10m, according to French media.
Barco struggled last season on loan at Sevilla but then impressed in the second half of the campaign following his loan switch to Strasbourg.
He made 15 appearances and claimed two assists for the Ligue 1 club, who are managed by the former Brighton player and coach Liam Rosenoir.
Valentin Barco of Brighton is set to make his loan to Strasbourg permanentplaceholder image
Valentin Barco of Brighton is set to make his loan to Strasbourg permanent
Barco, 20, joined Brighton for around £10m from Boca Juniors in 2023 and was contracted with Albion until June 2028.
He made his debut under previous boss Roberto De Zerbi and made seven first team appearances for the Seagulls.
The loan switch to Strasbourg came with an obligation to buy and French news outlet L’Équipe have reported that the £10m clause has now been triggered.
Barco was known as a left-sided player but has thrived in a more central position under Rosenoir.
Rosenoir guided Strasbourg to seventh in Ligue 1 as the Alsace side qualified for the Uefa Conference League play-offs.
Barco made his full international debut for Argentina in March 2024 against El Salvador.
Valentin Barco transfer verdict
It’s a move that seems to make sense for all parties. Brighton appeared to make up their minds fairly quickly that Barco was not quite the right fit for them.
The Sevilla loan did not go to plan at all but Barco has thrived in the new surroundings of Strasbourg. The Argentina man looks set to be a regular under Rosenoir and will hope to fulfil his undoubted potential in Ligue 1 and in the Conference League next term.
Barco offered brief glimpses of his talent in a Brighton shirt under De Zerbi but perhaps lacked the physicality at this stage of his career to be starter in the Premier League.
It’s a potential problem for Brighton though as are not blessed with too many options at left back and may dip into the transfer market this summer – especially if Manchester United target Pervis Estupinan leaves in this window.
Midfielders Ferdi Kadioglu and Jack Hinshelwood can fill in at left back but that’s unlikely to be a long-term solution for head coach Fabian Hurzeler.
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