Chelsea close to signing £8.7m Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco
Chelsea are set to sign Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco, according to reports in Argentina.
Barco spent the second half of last season on loan at Strasbourg before the Ligue 1 side agreed a permanent deal with Brighton for €10 million (£8.7m) last summer.
The 21-year-old has been one of Strasbourg’s standout performers this season and he is now on the verge of a return to the Premier League.
TyC Sports report that Chelsea are in talks to sign Barco but a final agreement has yet to be reached.
Strasbourg and Chelsea are both part of the BlueCo ownership, meaning that negotiations between the two clubs will be straightforward.
ESPN Argentina’s Augustus Caesar also reports that Bayern Munich were interested in a deal for Barco, but the midfielder is now set to join Chelsea in June.
Get your football fix
Metro's weekly newsletter In The Mixer delivers punchy analysis and breakdowns of the biggest football stories directly to your inbox.
Sign up here, it's an open goal.
Barco came through Boca Juniors’ academy in Argentina before his £7.8m transfer to Brighton in 2024.
The midfielder is also pushing for a place in Argentina’s World Cup squad and scored his first goal for the national side in their 5-0 friendly win against Zambia on Wednesday.
Barco has also played under Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior during their time together at Strasbourg.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have already agreed a deal to sign Strasbourg striker Emmanuel Emegha, who will make the move to Stamford Bridge this summer.
The 23-year-old has scored 30 goals in 71 appearances for the French club.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
What's Your Reaction?
Like
0
Dislike
0
Love
0
Funny
0
Angry
0
Sad
0
Wow
0
