Chelsea join the race to sign 19-year-old Boca Juniors defensive star

Chelsea monitoring highly-sought-after South American talent Valentin Barco ahead of a summer move

According to 90 min (h/t Football London), Chelsea have joined a group of Premier League clubs to monitor Boca Juniors defender Valentin Barco. This move is part of Mauricio Pochettino’s efforts to strengthen his squad in preparation for the upcoming transfer window.

It is said that Brighton & Hove Albion are leading the race to sign the South American talent, and they have already engaged in discussions with the player’s representatives for a potential move in the summer.

However, Boca are optimistic about securing a new contract agreement with their wonderkid. Still, they face stiff competition as Chelsea, along with Manchester City, Newcastle, Brentford, Wolves, and Nottingham Forest, have expressed interest in the player. These Premier League clubs have sent scouts to Argentina to observe his talent in recent weeks.

In addition to the English clubs, Celtic, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Benfica, Porto, AS Roma, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, and AS Monaco have also shown interest in the 19-year-old player.

Barco has garnered significant attention in Argentina due to his standout performances with his parent club, establishing himself as one of the most promising talents in the country. In the current season, the defender has participated in 19 matches, scoring one goal and contributing two assists across all competitions.

Marcelo Delgado, a board member at Boca, has revealed that the club is actively working on a new contract for the left-back. It’s worth noting that the highly-rated young player has just one year remaining on his current contract and is said to have a release clause valued at £8 million ($10m).

The South American club is resolute in their intention to retain one of their top players, and they will aim to raise his release clause.

Chelsea’s strategy of acquiring young and promising talents aligns with their interest in the youngster, and they may take concrete steps in the upcoming weeks, following a pattern seen in their previous transfer windows under owner Todd Boehly.

The Blues have not hesitated to pay the release clause for these youngsters, as seen this summer when they grabbed most of the players that they set their eyes on. Barco could be the next in line, provided they deal with the competition from other elite clubs.

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It will be interesting to see who will emerge victorious in the race to sign the Argentinian talent next summer.