Valentin Barco is set to join Chelsea this summer from sister club Strasbourg.
Barco has already announced his exit and said his goodbyes, though his move to Stamford Bridge has not been officially confirmed yet.
However, the midfielder will be joining the Blues despite attracting strong interest from elsewhere.
It’s going to be a big summer for Xabi Alonso and Chelsea!
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Valentin Barco chose Chelsea over German club
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, a big club from Germany were also keen on signing Barco. The 21-year-old, though, only had eyes for Chelsea, trusting BlueCo’s plans.
Discussing Barco’s pending switch to Chelsea on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “There was an important German club really interested in Valentin Barco, but the player wanted to go to Chelsea, wanted to trust the BlueCo way, the Chelsea way.”
Barco is not the only Strasbourg player who is set to arrive in west London this season. Emanuel Emegha will also be linking up with Xabi Alonso’s side.
Mike Penders is not owned by Strasbourg, with Chelsea sending him to the French club on loan, but the goalkeeper could be part of the Blues’ squad next season as well.
Players are developing at Strasbourg, so BlueCo will be happy with the relationship between the two clubs. Andrey Santos spent a year and a half there and came back to west London as a very capable midfielder.
He scored his first Premier League goal earlier this week, netting in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
How Xabi Alonso could utilise Valentin Barco next season
If Barco remains part of Chelsea’s first-team squad next season, he is going to bring plenty of versatility to the side.
Alonso can either use him in midfield or at left-back. The middle of the pitch is where the Argentine has played this term and is probably where he has produced his best football.
Barco is a tough footballer. He is making two tackles per game in Ligue 1 this season, which is one of the highest averages in Strasbourg’s squad, according to WhoScored.
However, Barco is quite short. It will be interesting to see how he gets on playing in midfield in the Premier League.
It is clearly where the Argentina international wants to play, though, after overlooking interest from the Bundesliga.
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