Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Strasbourg midfielder Valentín Barco has agreed on personal terms for a possible summer transfer to join Chelsea. Everything is now set on the player’s side. The Blues are also in charge of the deal because both clubs are owned by BlueCo, which can decide whether and when to proceed.
This season, the 21-year-old Argentine has had an amazing season in Ligue 1, reinventing himself after a tough time in English football. Barco is the second-best player in France for fouls won and is in the top seven per cent of midfielders in Europe’s top leagues for progressive passes completed. He has scored two goals and set up nine others in 38 games this season, making him one of Strasbourg’s most important players.
Further reports have gone so far as to say that Chelsea will sign Barco. There is already an agreement between the two clubs and a contract with the player for a summer arrival.
Barco joined Brighton from Boca Juniors in 2024, but he couldn’t get into the Premier League’s first team. He really came into his own at Strasbourg under Liam Rosenior, who turned him from a left-back into a full-time midfielder. The change has paid off big time. In February, reports said Rosenior had personally asked Barco to sign at Stamford Bridge, making it a reunion for the two.
Barco Set to Reunite With Liam Rosenior and Bolster Chelsea’s Engine Room
Valentín Barco’s possible arrival would help Chelsea fill one of their most important squad needs for next season. The Blues are making it a priority to sign a new midfielder so that Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo don’t have to do so much work in the engine room.
SciSports, a company that analyses data, thinks that Barco could reach the same level as Fernandez, but right now, he is not at the same level as his countryman. There has been a lot of talk lately about Enzo Fernandez’s future at Stamford Bridge, but reports say that Chelsea wants to sign the World Cup winner to a new contract. This means Barco would have to compete with Fernandez rather than replace him. If the deal goes through, Barco will be the first player to join the Blues under Liam Rosenior.