According to reports, Real Madrid is prepared to compete with Chelsea and Manchester City for the services of highly regarded Argentine prospect Valentin Barco of Boca Juniors.
Real Madrid has reportedly entered the race to capture Boca Juniors’ Valentin Barco, who has been targeted by Chelsea and Manchester City. The 19-year-old is one of the top young talents in South America and has attracted the interest of several teams in Europe.
Barco, who came up through Boca’s junior systems, just recently broke into the first-team picture but has already established himself as a key player for Boca Juniors this season. One goal and two assists have been recorded in his 24 first-team appearances across all competitions for the Argentine giants, including 11 league starts and seven appearances in the Copa Libertadores this season.
Barco is typically used as a full-back. However, he has proven his flexibility by being used in more attacking roles as well as all over the field. The excellent young player has even been used by Boca manager Jorge Almiron as a striker, offensive midfielder, and out on the flank to see which position he would perform best in.
And as a result of his outstanding achievements, many elite European teams have dispatched scouts to view the player in action. The highly-rated young player’s release clause is rumored to be around £8 million, and he only has one year left on his current deal, making him a desirable asset for any European bidder.
Pep Guardiola was allegedly very eager to sign Barco when the transfer market reopened, and Manchester City were believed to be in the lead in the hunt for his services. Sergio Gomez, who is now City’s sole natural left-back, hasn’t won over the Spanish boss.
The Citizens, meanwhile, may see their ambitions to sign Barco derailed. Real Madrid has now opted to join the battle for an in-demand left-back, giving Todd Boehly’s free-spending Chelsea strong competition as they continue their effort to assemble the world’s most sought left-back at Stamford Bridge.
Los Blancos have struggled since they don’t have a reliable replacement for left-back Ferland Mendy, who is prone to injury.Fran Garcia was re-signed in the summer, but the youthful left-back has shown inconsistent play thus far, raising doubts about his ability to serve as a regular starter.
Barco might be a breath of new air in that area and provide Real Madrid much-needed depth on the defensive side of the ball given the cautious style of the club’s existing full-backs.
