Chelsea have confirmed the signing of midfielder Valentin Barco from Strasbourg, with the Argentina international putting pen to paper on a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
The 21-year-old becomes the Blues’ sixth addition of the summer transfer window, following the arrivals of Morgan Rogers, Danny Welbeck, Emmanuel Emegha, Maxence Lacroix and Marco Palestra as the club continues to strengthen Enzo Maresca’s squad ahead of the new campaign.
Chelsea have not revealed the financial details of the transfer.
Barco is expected to link up immediately with the rest of the squad on their pre-season tour in Asia. Chelsea’s next scheduled fixture is against Italian giants Juventus in Hong Kong on 5 August.
The midfielder featured once for Argentina during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the reigning South American champions reached the final before losing to Spain. Earlier in the tournament, Barco was involved in a heated incident after the semi-final victory over England, when he was slapped by Jude Bellingham following the final whistle.
Barco began his professional career at Boca Juniors, progressing through the club’s academy before earning a move to Brighton & Hove Albion in 2024 for a reported £7.9 million.
His time in England was brief, however. After spending a season with Brighton, he impressed during a loan spell at Strasbourg, which led to a permanent switch to the French club the following summer.
Chelsea have now brought Barco back to England, making him the second player to move from Strasbourg to Stamford Bridge during the current transfer window.
Both Chelsea and Strasbourg operate under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, and Barco’s transfer marks the 13th deal completed between the two clubs since the beginning of last season.