Valentín Barco has officially signed with Chelsea, transitioning from Strasbourg, as announced by the London club.
The Argentina international has signed a contract that will keep him at the club for seven years and is expected to join the team during pre-season preparations.
Barco, versatile as both a left-back and midfielder, had an impressive season in France before representing Argentina in the World Cup, where they were narrowly defeated by Spain in the final after extra time.
Although he only played 19 minutes in the tournament, appearing in a match against Jordan, Barco was part of a notable incident involving England‘s Jude Bellingham, who playfully slapped him on the back of the head during Argentina’s celebrations after scoring a goal in their match against England.
At just 22 years old, Barco began his professional journey at River Plate, had a brief stint in the Premier League with Brighton & Hove Albion, and played for Sevilla before moving to Strasbourg on loan, where he made 58 appearances, contributing three goals and 11 assists.
This summer, Chelsea has been active in the transfer market, acquiring Morgan Rogers for £117 million from Aston Villa and Marco Palestra for £47 million from Atalanta, as they gear up for the upcoming Premier League season.
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Additions to Chelsea’s squad also include Maxence Lacroix, Geovany Quenda, Denner, Danny Welbeck, and Dastan Satpaev. Additionally, Chelsea has secured Emmanuel Emegha from Strasbourg, who shares ownership with BlueCo.
Former Liverpool and England captain Jordan Henderson is reportedly close to a move to Stamford Bridge after reaching an agreement to terminate his contract with Brentford.
This season, Xabi Alonso has taken the reins as manager of Chelsea.