-
News
- 59 minutes ago
Chelsea 'very close' to completing Liam Rosenior's first signing
Cameron Smith
- 13 Mar 2026 14:26 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco is “very close” to joining Chelsea this summer, according to a bombshell report.
The Argentina star, who was converted from a left-back to a central midfielder by Blues boss Liam Rosenior during his time in Ligue 1, has enjoyed a stellar campaign for Strasbourg and he has been widely tipped to complete a move to sister club Chelsea ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Current ETV
Valentín Barco
M, DM (C), D (L)
Strasbourg
Valentín Barco
M, DM (C), D (L)
Strasbourg
ETV Range
€20.9M - €25.5M
Barco has one goal and nine assists in 34 appearances across all competitions so far this year and reports indicate that his form has attracted interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, in addition to several other clubs across Europe.
However, Chelsea are also eager to sign the 21-year-old and as Clearlake Capital also own Strasbourg, a deal will not be difficult to finalise.
In fact, renowned journalist Guillem Balague has now revealed that Barco is “very close” to completing a move to Chelsea.
The Blues are expected to sign a new central midfielder this summer, following the injury issues suffered by Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo this season, and Barco has emerged as top target amid his form for Strasbourg.
Furthermore, the former Brighton & Hove Albion player is well aware of Rosenior’s preferred system and a deal is therefore expected to accelerate over the coming months before the summer window opens in mid-June.
Chelsea to sign Valentin Barco
If Chelsea are able to finalise a deal for Barco, he will become the 14th different player to move between Strasbourg and the Blues since Clearlake Capital purchased the Ligue 1 club in 2023, with Andrey Santos, Djordje Petrovic and Mamadou Sarr among the others to feature for both teams.
He will also become Chelsea’s fifth signing of the 2026 summer transfer window, with the Blues having already agreed deals for Sporting CP winger Geovany Quenda, Corinthians defender Denner, Kairat Almaty striker Dastan Satpaev, and Barco’s current Strasbourg team-mate Emmanuel Emegha.
However, Barco will become the first Chelsea signing completed since the appointment of Rosenior if he moves to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Football transfer news headlines today
Transfer Rumours: Man Utd eye Murillo as Arsenal interest in Premier League star confirmed
Fabrizio Romano Transfer News: Agent gives Haaland to Barcelona update after Man City Dembele links
Chelsea Transfer News Today: Blues target Arsenal star after PSG make contact over Fernandez deal
Arsenal Transfer News Today: Gunners get new Nico Williams chance after talks begin for €70m star
Man Utd Transfer News Today: Blockbuster €82m summer deal eyed for Bayern Munich star defender
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
