Brighton transfer news: Valentin Barco sold for £8.5m after making just seven appearances

Strasbourg have announced the permanent signing of left-sided player Valentin Barco from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The 20-year-old joined the Ligue 1 club on loan in the January transfer window and the option to make his deal permanent for a reported €10m (£8.5m) has now been triggered.

Barco began his career in his native Argentina with Boca Juniors and was signed by Brighton for around £7.9m in January 2024, but he was limited to only seven first-team outings for the Seagulls, including just three Premier League starts.

The versatile left-back and one-cap Argentina international spent the first half of the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Sevilla, but he only featured nine times for the Spanish outfit before making the temporary switch to Strasbourg in search of regular game time.

Operating either in centre-midfield or as a left-sided midfielder, Barco was handed 14 starts in Ligue 1 during the second half of last season, chipping in with two assists as Liam Rosenior’s side finished seventh to secure Conference League football for 2025-26.

?? He’s baaaack! ?

The Club are pleased to announce we have taken the option to purchase Valentín Barco — he has signed a deal through 2029! pic.twitter.com/kZ2LRhHd8y

— Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace English (@RCSA_English) July 2, 2025

Barco has now put pen to paper on a four-year contract until June 2029 with Strasbourg, ending his brief 18-month spell on the books at Brighton.

“This is a move that suits all parties and we wish Valentin the best of luck for the future,” Brighton’s technical director David Weir told the club’s official website.

At the time of writing, Barco becomes the third player to leave Brighton on July 2, after forward Joao Pedro and young goalkeeper James Beadle.

While Pedro has completed a £60m transfer to Chelsea, Beadle - a Under-21 European Championship winner with England - has joined Birmingham City on a season-long loan deal.

Written by
Oliver Thomas