Chelsea have completed the signing of midfielder Valentin Barco from Strasbourg on a seven-year contract.
The 21-year-old becomes the Blues’ sixth arrival of the summer, following the signings of Morgan Rogers, Danny Welbeck, Emmanuel Emegha, Maxence Lacroix and Marco Palestra.
Chelsea have not disclosed the transfer fee.
Barco will link up with Enzo Maresca’s squad immediately and join the club’s pre-season tour ahead of next week’s friendly against Juventus in Hong Kong.
The Argentina international made one appearance at the 2026 World Cup as his country finished runners-up to Spain.
He also made headlines after being slapped by England midfielder Jude Bellingham following Argentina’s semi-final win.
Barco began his career with Boca Juniors before joining Brighton in 2024 in a deal worth £7.9 million.
After spending a season on the south coast, he moved to Strasbourg following a successful loan spell and established himself in Ligue 1.
He is the second player to swap Strasbourg for Chelsea this summer, with both clubs owned by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
The move is the 13th transfer completed between the two clubs since the start of last season.
