Boca Juniors left-back Valentin Barco has confirmed that he has “signed the contract” ahead of completing his transfer to Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Seagulls have allegedly triggered the $10m (£7.9m) release clause in Barco’s contract and the 19-year-old has completed initial medical tests in his native Argentina.
Barco is believed to have put pen to paper on a contract that runs until June 2028, that includes a further 12-month extension, and a formal announcement from Brighton is thought to be imminent.
However, an announcement of the transfer has been delayed by the Seagulls, as Barco is currently focused on representing Argentina Under-23s at the CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament which begins on Saturday.
Barco has spoken ahead of his expected move to the Premier League with Brighton, and he is excited to fulfil his “dream” of playing in Europe.
“Yes, the deal with Brighton is 100% done. I’ve signed the contract,” Barco told ESPN as quoted by journalist Fabrizio Romano.
“My dream has always been to play in Europe. I tried to let Boca have sell-on clause but no way… so Brighton had to trigger the clause.”
“I’m already a Brighton player,” Barco added as quoted by The Argus. “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 (Roberto De Zerbi). I did speak with Facu (Facundo Buonanotte) who is there.
“I can [play] as a three (left-back) or as a midfielder. Wherever the team and the coach need me, I’m going to do it.”
Speaking about his time at Boca Juniors, Barco continued: “There is no going back, but I am very grateful to the fans, who applauded me from the first moment.
“Maybe they are not satisfied, or maybe they are, but I believe that on the field I gave them everything I could give them.
“La Bombonera (Boca Juniors’ stadium) is beautiful. Playing there is the most beautiful thing there is.
“They applauded me from the first game and I always tried to give it back to them on the pitch, so I am very grateful to everyone.”
Barco made his senior debut for Boca Juniors in 2021 and has since featured 32 times in all competitions, chipping in with one goal and four assists.
The skilful, versatile left-sided player, who can operate as either a left-back or left-winger, has developed into one of the brightest prospects in Argentina and was part of the Boca Juniors squad that reached the Copa Libertadores final in November last year, losing to Fluminense in extra time.
Brighton are understood to have fended off competition from the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Juventus to win the race for Barco, who could play for Argentina in their first CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament match against Paraguay on Sunday.
