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Chelsea sign Strasbourg midfielder Barco
03rd August, 2026 07:14 AM
English Premier League side Chelsea have completed the signing of Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco on a seven-year deal.
The 21-year-old becomes Chelsea‘s sixth signing of the summer after the arrivals of Morgan Rogers, Danny Welbeck, Emmanuel Emegha, Maxence Lacroix, and Marco Palestra.
The midfielder will join the remainder of Chelsea‘s pre-season tour, with the Blues set to face Italian side Juventus in Hong Kong on 5 August.
The London club did not disclose the fee.
Argentine international and World Cup finalists
Barco appeared once for Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, where they finished runners-up to Spain – and was slapped by Jude Bellingham after the semi-final victory over England.
A product of Boca Juniors’ academy, Barco joined Brighton Hove and Albion in 2024 for a fee of Ksh1.373 billion
But he spent just a year on the South Coast Club and joined Strasbourg the following summer after a successful loan spell.
Second player from the French Ligue 1
He becomes the second player this summer to join Chelsea from Strasbourg, with both clubs owned by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
The club initially signed Marco Palestra from the Ligue One side. The defender has been viewed primarily as cover for left-back Marc Cucurella, who departed the club for Real Madrid before the 2026 World Cup
It is the 13th deal between the two clubs since the start of last season.
Barco, 22, began his career with Boca Juniors in Argentina. He made his professional debut at 16 years old, after rising through the academy ranks, and won numerous titles before moving to England in 2024.
Chelsea transfer deals
Overall, the club has now seen Danny Welbeck, the 35-year-old England veteran, signed on Saturday, August 1, 2026, arriving from Brighton Hove and Albion
Morgan Rogers, a British record signing fee, was also roped in from Aston Villa, while Geovany Quenda from Sporting Club has also signed on June 8, 2026, as Xabi Alonso’s prepares for a new seaosin in charge with the reigning World champions.
Another arrival at the club is centre-back Mexence Lacroix from Crystal Palace.
Read: Complete list of transfers completed by top Premier League clubs
