Strasbourg’s Valentin Barco to join Chelsea | OneFootball

On Monday, Valentin Barco (21) announced that he will leave RC Strasbourg Alsace this summer. L’Équipe now report that the Argentina international will join Chelsea, as expected. 

“Today, I announce my exit from a club that I joined with a lot of hope. In one and a half years, I have had many magnificent moments, notably the most beautiful: the birth of my daughter […] I will continue to follow the club from afar. We will come back as a family as soon as possible. Strasbourg will remain a special place for us,” said Barco in a post on social media. 

It had been touted that he would join fellow BlueCo-owned club Chelsea at the end of the season. However, there was some doubt cast on the prospective move when Liam Rosenior, who knows Barco from his time as manager of Le Racing, left Chelsea.  

However, the managerial change and Xabi Alonso’s impending arrival will not prevent Barco from making the switch to Stamford Bridge this summer, L’Équipe understands. Bought for €10m last summer, his move to Chelsea will be worth at least double. He is expected to sign a six-year deal.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle