Atletico Madrid aim to rival Chelsea for Valentin Barco but face huge hurdle to beat Blues to Argentine's signature

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Atletico Madrid are planning to rival Chelsea for Strasbourg's Valentin Barco but the Spanish side will face a huge hurdle to beat the Blues to the Argentine's signature. Barco came to England for a brief period after plying his trade at Boca Juniors at the start of his career. However, the youngster was soon sent out on multiple loan spells before finally joining the Ligue 1 club in the last window permanently.

Barco's failed stint in England

Barco, who graduated from Boca Juniors' youth system, played senior football at the club for three seasons before moving to England and joining Brighton in January 2024. At the time of his signing, the Seagulls were hopeful that the talented youngster would shine in the Premier League. After securing his signature, Brighton technical director David Weir said in a statement: "We have been aware of Valentin for a long time and have been impressed with the progress he has made at the domestic and international level. We’re delighted to welcome him to the club, and we are looking forward to seeing how he progresses and develops under Roberto. 

"He has played predominantly on the left side, as a full-back, wing-back or winger, but also shown his versatility with Boca, playing across the midfield. He is an exciting prospect, but it’s also important we give him the time as he needs to settle and adapt to new surroundings and the Premier League."

However, Barco's stint with the Premier League side did not last long, as at the start of the 2024-25 campaign, he was sent out on loan to Sevilla. Barco then joined Strasbourg on a second loan spell in February 2025, where he finally got to showcase his game and he then permanently signed for the French side in the last transfer window. 

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Atletico Madrid want Barco

According to Caughtoffside, Spanish side Atletico Madrid are keen on signing Barco, who is also wanted by Premier League giants Chelsea. Atletico, who have a tradition of signing Argentine players and already have a host of stars from the South American nation, including Juan Musso, Thiago Almada and Nico Gonzalez, alongside Julian Alvarez.

Chelsea were interested in signing him in the summer, while Bayern Munich have also been making checks, per the report. Atletico are also attempting to secure his signature but face an uphill battle, as the French club will resist most attempts to extricate him. 

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Advantage Chelsea in Barco transfer race?

The Caughtoffside report adds that, while Atletico's interest in the midfielder is contract, they have to cross a major hurdle to beat the Blues in the race. Given Strasbourg's connection with the Blues as their sister club, the English side will naturally enjoy an advantage in the negotiations. The player will not come for cheap anyways, considering he is just 21 and has been impressive for Strasbourg this season.

However, Los Colchoneros could still beat Chelsea if they could convince the player with their existing Argentine contingent in the squad. Even the club's manager, Diego Simeone played for La Albiceleste with distinction. 

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Another Ligue 1 midfielder on Chelsea's radar

Alongside their pursuit of Barco, Chelsea are also exploring other options and have their eyes on another Ligue 1 youngster Ayyoub Bouaddi of Lille. As per Fabrice Hawkins, the Blues, along with Arsenal have emerged as leading contenders in the growing race to sign Lille midfielder Bouaddi, whose reputation has soared after breaking through as one of Ligue 1’s most exciting young talents. Lille, though, are determined to extend the teenager’s contract and protect a fee that could soar past €50 million (£43.6m/$58.2m) next summer.

Enzo Maresca's side will be back in action during the midweek as they take on Atalanta in a difficult Champions League away fixture in Italy on December 9.