Chelsea’s summer recruitment efforts are gaining momentum, with Argentina’s World Cup star, Valentin Barco poised to be the latest signing.
Xabi Alonso is eager to revamp a squad that failed to secure European qualification after another tumultuous season, which saw Enzo Maresca leave in January and his successor, Liam Rosenior, last only four months in the role.
Last week, the Blues shattered the British transfer record by outbidding rivals Arsenal for Morgan Rogers, agreeing to pay Aston Villa £117 million.
A considerable part of this expenditure will be mitigated by the exit of Alejandro Garnacho, who will head in the opposite direction on an initial loan with a mandatory purchase clause, costing £50 million after a single disappointing season in west London.
Chelsea is also expected to bring back Geovany Quenda, an exciting Portuguese teenager, into their first team after he spent the previous season on loan at Sporting Lisbon, while right-back Marco Palestra has been acquired from Atalanta.
Bolstering the defense will be a priority for Alonso, especially considering Chelsea’s defensive struggles last season, exacerbated by Levi Colwill’s serious knee injury.
The England international is likely to play a central role in Alonso’s strategy, potentially benefiting from the addition of Maxence Lacroix, who seems increasingly likely to transfer from Crystal Palace.
Alonso is also interested in acquiring a left-sided defender following Marc Cucurella’s transfer to Real Madrid.
The World Cup champion from Spain is among several players who have transitioned from Brighton to Chelsea in recent years, and his successor also has connections to the south coast club.
Barco transferred to Brighton from Boca Juniors two years ago but only participated in six Premier League matches for the team before relocating to Strasbourg.
After spending 18 months with the Ligue 1 side, the 22-year-old is set to move once more, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that all necessary documents have been finalized, and the tenacious defender will officially become a Chelsea player in just a few days.
However, Barco should prepare himself for a potentially hostile reception from rival fans due to his involvement in England’s World Cup exit.
Following Enzo Fernandez’s equalizing goal in a tense semi-final, Barco, who was a non-playing substitute, entered the field and provoked several Three Lions players, including Jude Bellingham.
After Lautaro Martinez scored a late winner, Bellingham approached Barco and slapped the soon-to-be Chelsea player while expressing his anger with gestures