Chelsea have secured the services of Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco on a seven-year deal, making the Argentine the club's sixth signing of the summer transfer window.

The 21-year-old joins the Blues following the earlier arrivals of Morgan Rogers, Danny Welbeck, Emmanuel Emegha, Maxence Lacroix, and Marco Palestra. Chelsea did not disclose the transfer fee.

Barco's route to Stamford Bridge

Barco came through the academy at Boca Juniors before moving to Brighton in 2024 for £7.9 million. His stay on the south coast lasted just one year, and he subsequently joined Strasbourg on loan — a spell that proved successful enough to earn him a permanent move to the French club.

He becomes the second player this summer to cross from Strasbourg to Chelsea, a transfer corridor made possible by the shared ownership of both clubs under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. This deal marks the 13th transaction between the two clubs since the start of last season.

World Cup experience and what comes next

On the international stage, Barco earned a cap for Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2026, where the defending champions finished runners-up after losing the final to Spain.

The midfielder is set to link up with Chelsea's pre-season tour squad immediately, with the Blues scheduled to face Juventus in Hong Kong on 5 August.