Atletico Madrid competing with Chelsea to sign Argentina international

Originally posted on Football Espana | By John Menzies | Last updated Dec 7, 2025 2:26 PM ET

Atletico Madrid have a knack for signing Argentine players, and another could be heading to the RiyadhAir Metropolitano next summer. Juan Musso, Thiago Almada and Nico Gonzalez joined in 2025, and soon, they could be joined by Valentin Barco.

Barco, who was on loan at Sevilla for the first half of last season, joined Strasbourg in the summer, signing permanently from Premier League side Brighton. He could now be set for a return to Spain or England, with CaughtOffside reporting that Atleti are competing with Chelsea for his signature.

“Chelsea are still closely monitoring Barco after looking at him in the summer. Bayern Munich have also been watching him, as have Atletico Madrid. But he’s under contract at Strasbourg until 2029 so there’s no panic at Strasbourg’s end – they’ll demand a big fee if anyone makes an approach.”

Barco’s versatility will appeal to Atleti

Barco has been in fine form for Strasbourg this season, and crucially for Atleti, he can operate in a number of positions. He predominantly plays in central midfield, although he is also capable of operating on the left flank – both in defence and attack.

However, Strasbourg’s relationship with fellow BlueCo group Chelsea means that Atleti would be on the back foot in regards to signing Barco, who would cost a considerable amount anyway, given that he is only 21 years of age. In this regard, Los Colchoneros may have to consider other options, although one advantage they have in their well-documented Argentine contingent, who could convince the player to join them over the Premier League giants.

It will be interesting to see whether Atleti make a concrete move for Barco next summer. He would certainly be a top addition to Diego Simeone’s side, as he looks much better than the player that featured for Sevilla last season.

This article first appeared on Football Espana and was syndicated with permission.

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