Chelsea have had an uncanny ability to shoot themselves in the foot this season, and did so again against Fulham on Wednesday night.
The Blues went into the game off the back of a hard-earned and impressive point away to Manchester City on the weekend, and for the first quarter of the match looked likely to pick up all three at Craven Cottage.
However, 22 minutes in, Marc Cucurella got himself sent off for denying Harry Wilson a goalscoring opportunity, and right in front of new boss Liam Rosenior, no less, who was watching on from the stands.
Marc-Cucurella-red-card-Chelsea
Remarkably, it was their fifth red card of the campaign already. Clearly, discipline is something the new boss will have to work on moving forward.
Interestingly, reports now suggest that the Englishman wants Chelsea to sign an exciting youngster who could rival, or even replace, the Spaniard.
Chelsea target Cucurella rival
Despite always being incredibly active in the transfer market, Chelsea once again need to add to their squad this month.
There is an argument that the attack needs bolstering, with none of the summer signings impressing all that much.
Likewise, Moises Caicedo could do with a serious backup option to ensure he's not played into the ground, and there is a sense among fans and pundits alike that Tosin Adarabioyo could and should be upgraded upon.
cucurella
However, an argument could also be made that Cucurella needs more competition at left-back, especially after his antics against Fulham, and Rosenior seems to agree.
At least it would appear that way, as a recent report from Spain claims Chelsea are in the picture for Valentin Barco.
The report has revealed that the Blues' new boss has marked the Argentine ace as one of his 'priority' targets for this month.
It goes on to explain that the former Strasbourg manager views the youngster as someone who could step into the team and fill several roles.
Valentin-Barco-1
The story does not state how much the 21-year-old might cost, but considering he joined the French side for around £8.5m last summer and they are under BlueCo ownership, it's unlikely to be too much.
In all, it might not be the type of signing that'll get fans too excited, but even so, Chelsea should go out and get Barco, as he could be a perfect rival for Cucurella.
Why Barco could replace Cucurella
So, the first thing to say is that, as things stand, it seems unlikely that anyone would come into this Chelsea side and instantly replace Cucurella.
marc-cucurella-chelsea-premier-league
The former Brighton & Hove Albion star has too much credit in the bank and is often still one of the team's best performers.
However, it is also true that over the last year or so, he hasn't had much genuine competition for his place, which could change should Barco arrive.
Sure, the "magic" Strasbourg star, as dubbed by u23 scout Antonio Mango, has spent more of his time recently playing in the middle of the park, but he started out as a left-back, and has spent plenty of his career on the left-hand side.
For example, in addition to the 25 appearances he's made in the middle of the park, he's made 24 at left-back, 23 in left midfield and eight at left wing.
valentin-barco-boca-juniors
In other words, the former Boca Juniors gem is more than comfortable playing and excelling in the same areas of the pitch as Cucurella.
On top of that, his underlying numbers paint the picture of someone who has all the traits required to be an excellent modern full-back, one who inverts like the Spaniard.
Barco's Scout Report
Statistics
Through Balls
% of Dribblers Tackled
Goal-Creating Actions
Tackles (Def 3rd)
Assists
xA: Expected Assists
Passes into Penalty Area
Dribblers Tackled
Carries into Final Third
Carries
Ball Recoveries
All Stats via FBref
For example, FBref rank him in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe's top five leagues for through balls, the top 4% for goal-creating actions, the top 6% for tackles in the defensive third, the top 7% for dribblers tackled, the top 9% for carries into the final third and more, all per 90.
Moreover, just a few years ago, respected analyst-turned-scout Ben Mattinson described the Argentine international as one of "the most technical inverted LB profiles out there."
Valentin-Barco-Boca-Juniors
In addition, talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as "the Argentinian Marcelo" in 2023, and while he has developed since then, it's an indication that he could thrive in that role.
Ultimately, Cucurella is still one of Chelsea's most important players, but considering how much Rosenior is reportedly pushing for Barco, he could soon have some real competition at left-back.
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