Chelsea Football Club has officially announced the signing of midfielder Valentin Barco from Strasbourg on a seven-year contract. The 21-year-old player is set to join the team's pre-season tour in Asia, where Chelsea will face Juventus in Hong Kong on August 5.

Summer Signings Continue

Barco becomes Chelsea's sixth acquisition of the summer transfer window, following the arrivals of Morgan Rogers, Danny Welbeck, Emmanuel Emegha, Maxence Lacroix, and Marco Palestra. The club has not disclosed the transfer fee for Barco.

International Experience

The young midfielder has made one appearance for the Argentina national team during the 2026 World Cup, where Argentina finished as runners-up to Spain. Notably, he was involved in a controversial moment with Jude Bellingham after Argentina's semi-final victory over England.

Barco is a product of Boca Juniors' youth academy and joined Brighton in 2024 for a reported fee of £7.9 million. However, he spent only one year with Brighton before moving to Strasbourg after a successful loan period. This transfer marks the second time this summer that Chelsea has signed a player from Strasbourg, as both clubs are under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. In total, there have been 13 transactions between the two clubs since the beginning of last season.