Player announces exit as Chelsea move looks very close

The summer transfer window is still some distance away. Chelsea will need to do with a couple of games before this campaign comes to an end. After that, the focus will turn towards improving the squad through new additions and also making sure that they master, or get as close as possible, Xabi Alonso’s system over the pre-season.

It will be very interesting to see what kind of players Chelsea sign. Depending on the source, they could end up adding anywhere from two to five starting-level players in the summer transfer window.

Amid all this, it looks like Chelsea might be very close to their first signing of the summer. The player has already announced his exit from his current club. And a move to Stamford Bridge now only seems like a matter of time.

Valentin Barco took to social media tonight to announce that he will be leaving Strasbourg. While no future destination has been made official yet, it is widely believed that he will be joining Chelsea.

Barco announces Strasbourg exit as Chelsea move seems only a matter of time

Of course, Strasbourg are also under the BlueCo umbrella. And Chelsea have signed quite a few players from them already, while also sending many in the other direction, either on loan or on a permanent basis.

BlueCo are not popular among the Strasbourg fans. That is largely because it often feels like the club has become sort of a feeder system to Chelsea.

But nobody can deny that the club are in a better position now in French football than they were before BlueCo. The rise of a player like Barco in that system is proof of that.

Barco became one of the best in France at Strasbourg

Barco was considered one of the best talents while coming through in Argentina. I have followed his development going back to his time at Boca Juniors, when he was a left-back.

Chelsea were linked with him back then as well, alongside a number of clubs. Eventually, he ended up joining Brighton & Hove Albion. That felt like a smart step considering the amount of players the Seagulls have successfully developed in recent years.

But it did not work out for Barco at Brighton. That give BlueCo the chance to finally get their man. He signed with Strasbourg and went from a struggling left-back in the Premier League to one of the best midfielders in Ligue 1.

Now, he looks ready to take the next step. For Strasbourg’s best, that is almost always going to be a move to Chelsea. That has been doing the rounds for a while. Expect an announcement soon.

Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade.

His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow.

Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.

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