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Chelsea are reportedly closing in on the signing of Valentin Barco from Strasbourg, and their potential plan for when they secure his signature has been explained.
Barco has played a starring role for the fellow BlueCo club this season, often cropping up in the heart of midfield.
Liam Rosenior has reportedly given the deal his seal of approval. He worked closely with the Argentine during his own time in charge of Strasbourg.
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Chelsea could sign Valentin Barco and loan him back to Strasbourg
Chelsea are seen as close to signing Barco this summer, however the plan could see him end up remaining with the Ligue 1 side for next season at least.
This is according to Simon Phillips, who said on his Substack that the main reason for Chelsea’s current interest is to secure his services now is to stop one of their rivals beating them to a deal.
Photo by Sathire Kelpa/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
He said: “The club are closing in on a deal to sign Valentin Barco from Strasbourg this summer. Although the plans for him are unclear at this moment. Chelsea are looking to sign him to fend off other interest from major clubs, but there is a chance he stays at Strasbourg for another season before officially joining Chelsea.”
After playing just 15 games for Strasbourg last season in all competitions, Barco has already notched up 37 appearances through this campaign so far.
While he has shown he can play on the left of defence, it is central midfield where he is excelling, and the position where he could be of more use to Chelsea.
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Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images Chelsea nearly signed Barco in 2023
Chelsea were actually very keen on signing Barco before they even owned Strasbourg, when he was featuring for Boca Juniors.
They were beaten to the deal by Brighton at that point, however their Premier League rivals judged that he wasn’t yet ready for action in Europe’s most physically-demanding league.
This could now work in Chelsea’s favour with their relationship with Strasbourg, making them the prime bidders for any promising players come through there.
This has already proven the case with Emanuel Emegha and Mamadou Sarr. The latter is now a part of Rosenior’s first team squad.
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