Premier League side set to sign most bought star on Football Manager in blow to Man City
Brighton are set to sign Valentin Barco from Boca Juniors after beating a host of rival clubs to the highly-rated youngster.
Barco has been scouted by several top European sides, including Manchester City, but the Seagulls are understood to have won the race for his signature. The 19-year-old is poised to sign a four-and-a-half-year contract, with the option of a further 12 months, after Brighton agreed to pay his $10million (£7.8m) release clause.
The left-back, who can also play as a winger, is currently away on international duty with the Argentina under-23 side. He will undergo a medical there before finalising the transfer in the coming days.
His signing fits a pattern for Brighton, who have focused on signing highly-rated young players from South America. They signed Facundo Buonanotte from Rosario Central last January for £5.3m, Julio Enciso for £9.5m in July 2022 from Paraguayan club Libertad Asuncion, as well as Moises Caicedo for £4.5m from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle in February 2021 and Alexis Mac Allister from Argentinos Juniors in January 2019.
Brighton beat Manchester United to Caicedo, who they sold to Chelsea for £115m last summer. And they have now beaten Man City to Barco, who has only made 23 senior appearances for Boca.
Despite his lack of senior experience, he is known to many football fans due to his potential on Football Manager, where he is one of the most bought stars in the game. Roberto De Zerbi’s side got in there before his release clause was due to increase from $10m (£7.8m) to $14m (£11m) this week.
Explaining Brighton’s recruitment strategy to The Athletic in 2021, Brighton’s former director of football Dan Ashworth said: “I’d say two-thirds of the Premier League would be able to
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