MX23RW : Tuesday, May 14 19:52:10| >> :120:10750:10750:

Manchester City 'move ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion in Valentin Barco race'

Man City 'move ahead of Brighton in Valentin Barco race'
© Reuters
Manchester City reportedly move ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion in the race to sign Boca Juniors teenager Valentin Barco.

Manchester City have reportedly moved ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion in the race to sign Boca Juniors teenager Valentin Barco.

The 19-year-old has attracted interest from the Premier League duo since breaking into the Boca Juniors first team earlier this year.

Barco has made a total of 20 senior appearances for the Argentine giants, including 17 outings in 2023, and he has operated as either a left-back or left-winger.

The Argentina Under-20 international is under contract at Boca Juniors until December 2024 and his deal is understood to include an $10m (£7.9m) release clause.

Brighton appeared to be at the front of the queue to sign Barco earlier this summer, but Argentine news outlet La Nacion, via Sports Witness, claims that Man City have stepped up their interest in the youngster.

Boca Juniors' Valentin Barco celebrates with teammates after winning the penalty shootout on August 9, 2023© Reuters

The report adds that the Citizens have made a 'tempting offer' for Barco that is 'slightly higher' than the $9m (£7m) bid made by Brighton that was rejected by Boca Juniors.

Barco's aforementioned $10m (£7.9m) release clause in his contract is due to increase to $14m (£11m) in the final two weeks of the summer transfer window.

The youngster is now weighing up a possible exit and is said to have been advised by Boca Juniors trio Sergio Romero, Dario Benedetto and Marcos Rojo – the latter formerly of Manchester United – to stay with the club.

Barco is believed to be keen to play for Boca Juniors in both legs of their Copa Libertadores quarter-final tie against fellow Argentine side Racing Club between August 24 and August 31 – the second leg taking place a day before the summer transfer window closes in England.

It remains to be seen whether Man City manager Pep Guardiola intends to integrate Barco into his first-team squad or send the teenager out on loan.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola celebrates after winning the UEFA Super Cup on August 16, 2023© Reuters

Citizens wideman Sergio Gomez – a peripheral figure in Guardiola's squad – is a player with a similar profile to Barco, as the versatile Spaniard has played numerous times as either a left-back or left-winger throughout his career.

In recent years, Man City have delved into the South American market to recruit highly-rated starlets including Julian Alvarez and Maximo Perrone.

Alvarez – a World Cup winner with Argentina – joined Guardiola's side last summer from River Plate and became a treble-winner in the 2022-23 campaign, while Perrone moved to the Etihad Stadium from Velez Sarsfeld in January but made just two first-team appearances last season.

While Alvarez remains an important first-team player for Man City, Perrone is allegedly attracting interest from Spanish club Las Palmas, who are hoping to sign the midfielder on loan.

Man City, meanwhile, have reportedly put negotiations with West Ham United over a deal for Lucas Paqueta on hold, as the midfielder is being investigated by FIFA and the Football Association over alleged betting breaches.

ID:521586:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5893:

Click here for more stories about Valentin Barco

Click here for more stories about Manchester City

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Brennan Johnson celebrates scoring for Nottingham Forest against Leicester City on January 14, 2023
Read Next:
Transfer rumours: Johnson to West Ham, Podence to Celtic, Barco to Brighton
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal37275589286186
2Manchester CityMan City36267391335885
3Liverpool372310484414379
4Aston Villa37208976562068
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs361961171591263
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle361761379572257
7Chelsea361691173611257
8Manchester UnitedMan Utd36166145256-454
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham371410135971-1252
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton361212125458-448
11Bournemouth37139155365-1248
12Crystal Palace371210155258-646
13Wolverhampton WanderersWolves37137175063-1346
14Fulham37128175159-844
15Everton37139153949-1040
16Brentford37109185461-739
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3789204766-1929
18Luton TownLuton3768235081-3126
RBurnley3759234076-3624
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd37372735101-6616


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!