Chelsea’s links with RC Strasbourg through BlueCo could see them look to do a deal for Brighton and Hove Albion’s Valentin Barco this summer.
That’s at least according to Augusto César, via El Intransigente, who believes Barco may be a name to keep an eye on for Chelsea this summer.
The defender is currently on loan at Strasbourg from Brighton, having joined the French side in the January transfer window after a disastrous loan spell at Sevilla in the first half of the campaign.
He’s fared better in France, with two assists in 12 games to his name and a string of impressive performances that have gotten some excited about him again.
The deal includes a mandatory clause for Strasbourg under certain conditions, but César believes that there could be another move in the offing instead.
“I tell you, from information, Barco is at the club that belongs to the Chelsea group… I would be attentive in June,” he said on Radio La Red.
That idea comes from the fact that Chelsea’s owners, BlueCo, also own Strasbourg, and so will have been keeping a close eye on Barco’s development at the club.
We’d suggest they won’t be all that keen on a defender who really struggled in the Premier League when he joined Brighton and has only shown brief flashes of his quality in the year since his move from Argentina.
Either way, it’s potentially good news for Brighton, who might have another suitor at Chelsea if Strasbourg don’t end up doing a permanent deal this summer.
