There is a clear need for Chelsea to strengthen this summer, even though they will be working within financial constraints after posting record losses. UEFA are also going to be monitoring the situation at Stamford Bridge, having fined them last year. So, the Blues will need to get creative. But with Xabi Alonso arriving as the new manager, the expectation has only grown. The Spaniard needs to be backed. Otherwise, the appointment might have been pointless.
There has been so much talk about Enzo Fernandez leaving this summer. It would be a blow, as he is one of the club’s best players right now. Replacing him won’t be an easy task.
Interestingly, Chelsea’s first signing of the summer is going to be a midfielder. And just like Fernandez, he is also an Argentine international.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Valentin Barco. The Italian journalist has given the move his famous ‘here we go’ seal of approval.
Barco is set to join Chelsea this summer as expected
Chelsea’s move for Barco has been pretty much an open secret for months now. In fact, is it possible that a deal might have been in place for a while but nothing was made official before the end of the season after seeing how Strasbourg fans have reacted to Emmanuel Emegha?
We do not know if that is the case or not. But it feels plausible. Anyways, it does not really matter. Chelsea have gotten a deal over the line and Barco is set to join the club.
Now, what is important is that he proves to be a good signing. We have already seen him struggle at Brighton in the past. So, there will be question marks over his suitability to the Premier League. It remains to be seen if he can prove the doubters wrong or not.
Should Barco failing at Brighton be a worry?
To be honest, I do not feel that Barco’s failed stint at Brighton is relevant to his move. The Argentine struggled as a left-back. But now, he is playing a completely different role.
Barco is one of the best midfielders in Ligue 1 and Europe right now. He is also a full Argentine international. Failing at Chelsea did not stop the like of Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne from succeeding elsewhere in the Premier League, did it?
The only concern here is that this feels like a move that BlueCo have always made. So, what exactly has or will change this summer under Alonso? We are not entirely certain. Let’s see this entire play out before coming to any conclusions.
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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