Brighton defender Valentin Barco is on the verge of a move to French club Strasbourg, according to reports. The Argentine left-back, who joined Brighton from Boca Juniors for $10 million (£7.8m) last year, has struggled to find his footing in European football.
Despite interest from top Premier League clubs like Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea during his time in Argentina, Barco has failed to make an impact at Brighton.
He was loaned to Sevilla last August but has seen little playing time in Spain, starting just three La Liga matches this season. Sevilla, unable to integrate him into their squad, have been looking to send him back to Brighton.
However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Barco has instead reached an agreement to join Strasbourg. The deal will initially be a loan, with the French club paying €10 million to make the move permanent in the summer. Brighton have also secured a 10% sell-on clause in case Barco is sold in the future.
Barco is scheduled to undergo a medical in London on Saturday before traveling to France on Sunday to finalize his transfer.
Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler confirmed that Barco would not be returning to the club. “I think at the moment, this is not the right environment for him,” Hurzeler said. He also noted that Brighton closely tracks all their loan players and follows their progress.
With this move, Barco will hope to revive his career in France after struggling to adapt in both England and Spain.