Gary O’Neil will be rewarded as Strasbourg coach by one of Liam Rosenior’s former protégés – but it may not last long.
Valentin Barco has undergone a dramatic transformation in Alsace from flying full-back to one of Ligue 1’s best young midfielders.
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The 21-year-old was once tipped as Brighton’s ‘next £100m player’ when he arrived from Amex in January 2024.
Barco signed a four-and-a-half year contract for £7.87m with the Seagulls after being scouted by Manchester United and Man City.
The then-left-back initially hinted that he would live up to the hype in his first six months in England, having impressed against the Red Devils, Pep Guardiola’s men and indeed Chelsea.
Valentin Barco: FPL favorite for Strasbourg playmaker
Pervis Estupinan underwent surgery in April 2024, suggesting Barco will be Brighton’s first choice at the start of the 24/25 season.
The Argentina international started in the final pre-season friendly under Fabian Hurzeler before the Premier League restarted.
The hype surrounding Barco became so great that almost 25 percent of FPL managers selected him for their squad before the season.
He became the busiest defender in the £4.0 million price bracket and was still loaned out to Sevilla after Gameweek 2.
Six months later, Barco was then loaned out to Strasbourg and helped Rosenior’s men qualify for that season’s Conference League.
The 1.70 meter tall starlet moved permanently to “Le Racing” last July, where he has been going from strength to strength ever since.
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Latest Barco stats and Chelsea transfer
The Argentine has scored one goal and provided four assists in 17 Ligue 1 games under Rosenior and now O’Neil this season.
Together with former Chelsea player Diego Moreira, he leads the way with nine chances, marking another success story for Rosenior.
For Strasbourg in Ligue 1 this season, Barco also ranks first in ball contacts (1271) and second in successful passes (812).
Without possession, he ranks second in the club rankings for contests won (18), total distance covered (178.29 km) and successful tackles (22).
What’s even more impressive is that these statistics come despite Barco missing two Ligue 1 games due to suspension and illness at the end of last year.
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“Barco was such an important player for Rosenior”
Barco has started all three games of O’Neil’s tenure, but another suspension means he will not be allowed to play against Paris Saint-Germain this Sunday.
And that could be a window into the future, with Chelsea keen to sign another of their BlueCo affiliate players.
On Barco’s transition to a midfielder, European football expert Andy Brassell told The Pitch Prospect: “It actually comes from Liam Rosenior.”
“I think it really highlights how well Rosenior can deal with individual players.
“What he could do to Moreira and Barco, who I know are interested. I know Chelsea and Rosenior are interested in him.”
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“And actually, I think you could increasingly say Martial Godo, who has gotten better and better over the last few months.”
“But it’s interesting when you look at a full-back who is as good on the ball as Barco.”
“It’s a relatively easy thing to get him to play that inside-left role, which is probably similar to Raphaël Guerreiro’s best position. He still plays left-back for Portugal, but that’s just because nobody else will actually do it.”
“I really think if you look at him, he’s best used in midfield because he’s such a good passer, because he’s such an intelligent runner, because he can even get into the penalty area and score goals.”
“With all of these things, you would prefer him to be a little further up the pitch.
“Barco was such an important player for Rosenior that it seemed clear to me even before the speculation that he was the right player. Every coach wants a player who can run things for them.”
“If we go way back, it’s a bit like Vincent Kompany going to Burnley and getting Josh Cullen from Anderlecht. A guy who can interpret on the pitch what my style of football wants to be.”
“I spoke to a couple of Chelsea players at NBA London, Joao Pedro and Malo Gusto, and they both said, well, it’s very different under Liam Rosenior and they seem to be really enjoying and embracing that.”
“But on the other hand, I think it helps enormously when you have a player on the pitch who says: ‘Right, this is how we organize ourselves.’”