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Chelsea have signed midfielder Valentin Barco from French club Strasbourg, with the Argentine becoming their seventh major signing of the summer so far.
The Blues confirmed on Sunday that they had finalised a move to sign the Argentine, who was part of the squad that finished as runners-up at the World Cup this summer.
Barco previously had a spell in England with Brighton and Hove Albion, joining the Seagulls in 2024 before spending time on loan at Spanish side Sevilla and with Strasbourg.
The midfielder then joined Strasbourg permanently last summer, before impressing for the French side last term.
Barco has played five times for Argentina, scoring twice (Photo: Associated Press/Alamy)
In total the 22-year-old made 58 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit in all competitions, scoring three times and registering 11 assists.
Strasbourg and Chelsea are both owned by BlueCo, and several players have moved between the two clubs over the past few years.
Barco follows the likes of Morgan Rogers, Danny Welbeck and Marco Palestra in arriving at Stamford Bridge during the current summer transfer window, with new manager Xabi Alonso working to fine-tune his squad ahead of the start of the season.
The Argentine has signed a long-term contract with Chelsea that is set to run until the end of the 2032/33 campaign, which is in-keeping with the Blues’ policy of signing young players on long-term deals.
Barco’s versatility could appeal to Alonso, with the Argentina international able to operate as a full-back or in his natural position as a central midfielder.
Chelsea also revealed that Barco will join up with Alonso and the squad during their pre-season tour of Asia.