‘Pittance’ – Player set to sign for Chelsea, and old club have regrets

With Valentín Barco seemingly on the verge of a transfer to Chelsea, regret is slowly seeping in at one of his former clubs, Sevilla.

Estadio Deportivo report on that growing sense of frustration and regret today, as the newspaper covers the 21-year-old today and Sevilla’s confrontation with the reality of a grave miscalculation on their part.

From Sevilla obscurity to Strasbourg stardom

Valentín Barco joined Sevilla on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion in August 2024, but his time at the Spanish club was a miserable one.

He was pretty much pushed out of the picture at the Ramón Sánchez stadium, afforded just nine games and 466 minutes in total before being sent back to Brighton the following January.

He joined Strasbourg a month later and hasn’t looked back since. Reinvented as a central midfielder, he’s now a key player at the French club. They quickly activated a €10m deal last summer. Barco’s rise has continued ever since.

Chelsea win the race

Now a move to Chelsea appears to be on the cards. A report today stated that a deal has already been done between the two BlueCo clubs for the Argentine.

That followed a similar report four days ago stated the same, insisting it was in the final stages, and he would join Chelsea this summer.

Some reports have indicated the deal could be in the €40-45m range. It is that figure which is leading to major regret at Sevilla.

Sevilla’s share – Barely €100,000

Under FIFA’s training compensation rules, Sevilla are entitled to a sliver of the fee because Barco spent half a season at the club after turning 16. That entitlement is 0.25% of the transfer fee.

So, if Chelsea pay around €40m for Barco this summer, Sevilla will receive €100,000. That’s a figure Estadio describe as a ‘pittance’.

Sevilla could have been pocketing a major profit from Barco this summer. But they also would have benefitted greatly on the pitch had he been trusted.

Instead, Valentín Barco wasn’t trusted. He was pushed to the side, forgotten, and then sent back to Brighton. Now he’s on his way to Chelsea, the feeling at Sevilla is that he’s the epitome of the problems at the club.

Their recent history has been defined by failed planning, misjudged signings and managerial upheavals. Barco falls in to two of those categories. His move to Chelsea this summer is being viewed from Spain as a major opportunity missed once again.