Chelsea stun Bayern Munich as ‘talks’ for Argentina midfielder advance in summer transfer coup | OneFootball

Chelsea look poised to beat Bayern Munich to the signing of a highly-rated Argentina midfielder from sister club Strasbourg in a deal considered a real coup for the club.

Fresh off announcing the highest pre-tax loss in English football history last season, £262.4million, the Blues remain on the hunt for bargain signings that could develop into elite-level talent in the future.

One such player is Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco, with reports in Argentina claiming that Chelsea are closing in on a deal for the talented 21-year-old.

Barco spent the second half of last season on loan at Strasbourg before the Ligue 1 side agreed a permanent deal with Brighton for €10million (£8.7m) last summer.

The Argentine has been one of Strasbourg’s top performers this season and now looks to be on the verge of a switch back to the Premier League.

TyC Sports reports that Chelsea are in talks to sign Barco, although a final agreement between the two clubs has yet to be reached.

However, the fact that Strasbourg and Chelsea are both part of the BlueCo ownership indicates that negotiations between the two clubs are likely to be pretty straightforward.

The proposed Chelsea signing would be considered a real coup, especially with ESPN Argentina’s Augustus Caesar reporting that German giants Bayern Munich have also been showing interest in Barco, although a summer switch to London now looks more likely.

Barco, who came through Boca Juniors’ academy in Argentina before his £7.8m transfer to Brighton in 2024, is well known to Liam Rosenior after playing under the Chelsea boss during their time together at Strasbourg.

The talented midfielder is currently fighting to earn a spot on Argentina’s 26-man World Cup squad, having scored his first goal for his country in the 5-0 friendly rout of Zambia on Wednesday evening.

If Barco does end up at Stamford Bridge this summer, he will follow Strasbourg striker Emmanuel Emegha in moving to the Premier League after Chelsea struck a deal for the 23-year-old frontman back in September.