Chelsea are reportedly close to completing a deal to sign Argentine midfielder Valentin Barco from sister club Strasbourg.
According to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, all the necessary documents have been signed for Barco to make the move to Stamford Bridge, following reports that an agreement was reached between the clubs in May.
A fee of around $65m has been mooted for the 21-year-old, who recently represented Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
Barco was involved in a heated incident following Argentina’s semi-final victory over England at the tournament. The midfielder was reportedly slapped by England star Jude Bellingham after Barco ran onto the pitch to celebrate in front of the Three Lions players.
The incident came after Argentina completed a dramatic stoppage-time comeback against England.
Former England international Paul Robinson criticised the scenes, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: “We’ve not seen much sportsmanship today and that was probably the worst example of sportsmanship we’ve seen at this World Cup.
“Barco has been with Strasbourg since 2025, initially joining the French side on loan from Brighton. He had previously spent a short spell with the Premier League club during the 2024/25 season after moving to England from Argentine giants Boca Juniors.
The midfielder enjoyed an impressive campaign last season, scoring three goals and registering nine assists in 43 appearances across all competitions as Strasbourg reached the UEFA Conference League final.
Chelsea and Strasbourg have a close relationship through their shared ownership under the BlueCo consortium, which operates a multi-club model.
Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has already overseen the arrivals of Morgan Rogers, Geovany Quenda, Marco Palestra and Emmanuel Emegha, while Marc Cucurella, Andrey Santos and Tyrique George have left the club.
Barco’s potential arrival would further strengthen Chelsea’s squad as Alonso continues to reshape his team ahead of the new season.