Valentin Barco to Chelsea: Reported transfer advancement after Strasbourg future update
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Chelsea are "very close" to signing Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports.
Barco has had an impressive season at Strasbourg, so it would be a surprise if he has not attracted interest from several top clubs already.
He initially joined Strasbourg on loan from Brighton in February 2025, before completing a permanent move to the French club last summer for a reported fee of just £8.47m.
He has since established himself as a regular starter for Strasbourg and arguably been the primary playmaker for the club this season, averaging 1.5 key passes per game in Ligue 1.
The 21-year-old has also already bagged nine assists in all competitions so far.
He is young, clearly an exciting talent, and should already be familiar with Liam Rosenior's football, so he ticks a lot of boxes as a potential target for the West London club.
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague even claims that Barco is already very close to joining Chelsea in the summer.
If Barco is to join Chelsea in the summer, he would join Mamadou Sarr and Strasbourg captain Emmanuel Emegha, who is set for a move to Stamford Bridge after a pre-agreement earlier this season.
Chelsea already have several central midfield options at their disposal, such as Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo.
However, fellow Argentina international Fernandez is arguably the only true playmaker on this list, so Barco's potential arrival could help Chelsea manage the former's minutes.
Like Fernandez, Barco is versatile enough to play as a number 10.
Caicedo, Santos, Lavia, and Essugo are all capable of distributing the ball in transition, but they still prefer to operate as defensive midfielders.
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.