ARGENTINIAN hothead Valentin Barco can expect a hostile reception from English fans whenever he plays for Chelsea this season.
But the red-haired firebrand who earned a clip round the ear from Jude Bellingham for his World Cup semi-final antics is no stranger to bouncing back from controversy.
Barco and the rest of the Argentina bench celebrated Lautaro Martinez’s winner wildly Credit: Reuters
Wantaway Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez taunted England fans after his equaliser Credit: Getty
Barco, 22, may have compatriot and fellow wind-up merchant Enzo Fernandez to help him run the gauntlet.
No-one has yet stumped up the £120m fee which Chelsea are demanding for Fernandez, who cupped his ears in front of Three Lions fans as he celebrated his equaliser against Thomas Tuchel’s men.
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Yet whatever happens with his international team-mate, Barco will surely face the consequences of his behaviour following Lautaro Martinez’s stoppage-time winner.
The former Brighton star, who was an unused substitute, ran on to the pitch and appeared to taunt England players.
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And after the final whistle, Barco said or did something to antagonise Bellingham further, which resulted in the slap for which the Three Lions star has escaped punishment.
Venezuela’s Bryant Ortega was not so lucky when Barco was up to no good in an Olympic qualifying match back in February 2024.
After Barco was penalised for a foul, he threw the ball at another opponent, Rafael Uzcategui, catching him on the head.
Ortega retaliated on behalf of his team-mate in similar fashion, and both he and Barco were sent off.
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Argentina feared Barco would be banned for the remaining two matches of the final stage of qualifying..
But Barco received just a one-game ban and returned for the decisive game against Brazil.
Playing at left back, he secured his third assist of the campaign by setting up what turned out to be the only goal of the game, which sent Argentina to the Paris 2024 games.
But for good measure, Barco showed the other side of his game in stoppage time by earning a yellow card for kicking the ball away as Brazil prepared to take a free kick.
All this happened after Barco had signed for Brighton from Boca Juniors in January 2024 for just under £8m – but before he made an appearance for the Seagulls.
The transatlantic move was not the first time Barco had gone the extra mile to advance his career.
Boca spotted his talent at an early age, but his home in Veinticinco de Mayo was a long way from the academy.
Barco revealed: “When I started playing football, my mother and then my father would travel 100km to take me to training every day.
“After that, we moved to live next to the stadium.”
Boca, where Diego Maradona and many other Argentina legends rose to fame, converted Barco from a wide forward into a left-sided defender.
He made his debut at the age of 16 and at 19 was part of the team which made it all the way to the 2023 final of the Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent of the Champions League.
In the last 16 clash with Uruguay’s Nacional, he stepped up to score the fifth and decisive penalty in the shootout.
Barco started the final against Brazilian side Fluminense, but Boca lost 2-1 after extra time.
Barco in action for first club Boca Juniors, where he made his first-team debut aged 16 Credit: Getty
Barco made only seven senior appearances for Brighton before going out on loan Credit: Getty
Manchester City were among the clubs monitoring Barco.
But it was Brighton who announced Barco was following in the footsteps of fellow South American recruits to the Amex such as fellow Argentinian Alexis Mac Allister and Ecuador’s Moises Caicedo, now his team-mate at Chelsea.
Barco made seven appearances for Brighton in the remainder of the 2023/4 campaign, including three starts in the Premier League.
The Seagulls sent the young man on loan to Spanish club Sevilla for the 2024/5 campaign.
But he returned in the New Year after struggling for game time and with injuries. Barco and fiancee Yaz Jaureguy, an influencer from Argentina, were also victims of a burglary.
A move to Strasbourg and the coaching of future Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior kickstarted Barco’s European adventure.
After recovering from a hamstring problem, he started all 14 remaining Ligue 1 games.
Just as significantly, Rosenior unlocked his potential in a new position.
Barco initially played as a wing back for Strasbourg, but soon found himself playing in the centre of midfield alongside Andrey Santos, who was on loan from sister club Chelsea.
He thrived at the heart of the team and became a key player in the side that secured Conference League qualification.
Barco was outstanding in a 4-2 win over Lyon in March 2025 and was given three days off by Rosenior to spend with Jaureguy and their new baby daughter.
Barco poses with wife Yaz Jaureguy, daughter Gemma and a family pet Credit: Instagram / @yaz.jaureguy
Barco takes instructions from Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, who later joined Chelsea Credit: AFP
Barco joined Strasbourg permanently for £8m and continued his development, even after Rosenior left in January to replace Enzo Maresca as Chelsea boss.
The Blues were immediately linked with a move to sign him, and personal terms were allegedly agreed back In April..
Strasbourg enjoyed another good season, reaching the semi finals of the Conference League and French Cup.
The only blot on Barco’s copybook was a red card for an X-rated foul on Lens’ Morgan Guilavogui last November.
Until the World Cup semi final.
Argentinians call people with ginger hair like Barco “Colo” – short for “colorado”.
And he lived up to their reputation for being combustible with his behaviour against England, despite not kicking a ball in anger in Atlanta.
Barco can expect plenty of stick up and down the country when he pulls on a Chelsea shirt following a move which even some Blues fans are criticising.
But like any good Argentinian, he is unlikely to care.
