Last month, journalist César Luis Merlo reported Valentín Barco had received permission from Brighton & Hove Albion to represent Argentina at the Olympics this summer.
TyC Sports say the 19-year-old was all set to be part of Javier Mascherano’s final squad for the Olympic Games in Paris.
Earlier this month, the Seagulls appointed Fabian Hürzeler as Roberto De Zerbi’s successor at The Amex. It’s claimed the new manager’s arrival has resulted in the ‘radical change’ in the English club’s stance.
TyC Sports claim De Zerbi wasn’t planning to use the youngster a lot at Brighton. However, Hürzeler would like to give importance to Barco, and wants to have the player from the start of pre-season.
The Olympics are not part of the FIFA calendar and clubs aren’t obliged to release their players.
In this case, Brighton ‘don’t want to release’ Barco, and want him to be part of their pre-season. The report adds that not having Barco is a ‘very sensitive loss’ for Mascherano.
