Valentin Barco, who has confirmed he has already signed with the south coast club, could make his Brighton debut at Sheffield United later this month.
Complete-back Throughout the January transfer window, Barco has been strongly connected to a move to the AMEX, as Roberto De Zerbi looks to bolster that position in light of several injury concerns. Although there have been rumors of links to Manchester City and Liverpool as well, Brighton has won the race due to their history of nurturing potential.
The 19-year-old has subsequently finished his medical, and it is believed that the Seagulls and Boca Juniors agreed on a $10 million (around £8 million) fee for him. Although the club has not yet provided an official statement, Barco has already announced his impending move.
“I’m already a Brighton player,” he told ESPN in South America. “It’s a totally different kind of football than here. I’ll have to adapt, I hope it’s quick. I didn’t have the opportunity to speak with the coach. I did speak with Facu [Facundo Buonanotte] who is there.”
Since entering the main squad three years ago, Barco, an Argentine under-23 international, has started 35 games at the club level and has been a consistent starter for Boca. Despite losing to Fluminense in the Copa Libertadores final the previous year, he drew attention.
Later this week, Brighton is expected to confirm the deal, although it’s unclear if Barco will be registered in time for Monday’s Premier League match against Wolves. Even so, it can take several training sessions for him to get used to De Zerbi’s system.
This implies that Barco might make his Seagulls debut when they play Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in the FA Cup fourth round. It is anticipated that De Zerbi’s team would contend for a trophy this year, just as they did in their victory over Stoke City in the third round.
In an effort to gain some winning momentum before the Blades’ Premier League survival drive in the second half of the season, Chris Wilder also performed admirably in their 4-0 victory over Gillingham earlier this month.
