Chelsea has finalized the signing of Valentin Barco, a midfielder from Strasbourg, on a seven-year contract. This move marks the club's sixth acquisition of the summer transfer window.
Barco, 21, joins previously announced signings Morgan Rogers, Danny Welbeck, Emmanuel Emegha, Maxence Lacroix, and Marco Palestra. The Argentine midfielder is expected to participate in Chelsea's preseason tour, which includes a match against Juventus in Hong Kong on August 5.
The transfer fee for Barco was not disclosed by the club. He previously represented Argentina in the 2026 World Cup, where the team finished as runners-up. He is a product of Boca Juniors' academy and initially joined Brighton in 2024 for a reported fee of £7.9 million. After a year on the south coast, he moved to Strasbourg the following summer, following a successful loan spell.
Barco is the second player to join Chelsea from Strasbourg this summer. Both clubs are under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, and this marks the 13th deal between the two clubs since the start of the previous season.