[Albion] Valentín Barco **Signed 20/01/24**

[Nobby Cybergoat]

If I understand correctly he’s still in Argentina, and there’s no point him coming all the way to the UK as everyone’s in Dubai, plus he’s going to be playing for the Argentina team in the pre-Olympic tournament which starts in a few days. So the delay could just be so we can get a couple of club reps out there to organise a media shoot, etc.
Just a guess though.

Why do we need a media shoot is my point?

All anyone wants to see is an article on the club site saying .... "The club are delighted to welcome the signing of Valentin Barco from Boca Juniors. He is a player we've been watching for .... blah blah blah".

They can do a "meet Valentin Barco" feature with photos and videos in a months time.

Or if they are that desperate to have him in an Albion shirt, DHL him one (could have done this weeks ago) and book him into a photoshoot in Argentina

 

[Bakero]

Why do we need a media shoot is my point?

All anyone wants to see is an article on the club site saying .... "The club are delighted to welcome the signing of Valentin Barco from Boca Juniors. He is a player we've been watching for .... blah blah blah".

They can do a "meet Valentin Barco" feature with photos and videos in a months time.

Or if they are that desperate to have him in an Albion shirt, DHL him one (could have done this weeks ago) and book him into a photoshoot in Argentina

The club are working to their timetable not anyone else's and there's always going to be photoshoot and interview as it's 2024. Barco won't be linking up with the squad any time soon due to the Olympic qualifiers so there's no rush to make the announcement. I'm sure they would've liked to have kept it under wraps until the time was right but it was leaked by other sources.

 

[JBizzle]

Loan. It's got to be a loan. They are trying to arrange it, announce it all at once and it's taking ages to get the right loan arranged.

The notion that they are taking all this time as they are trying to prepare some sort of elaborate signing presentation video makes no sense. It's not Mbappe, it's a left back with 30 senior apps.

Thank you for bringing this thread back on track. I agree. I imagine the complication is that he's not available for game-time until after the Argentinian U-23s break up. Any interested club that needs a LB/LW fairly quickly will not actually get Barco until mid-February which is much less enticing an offer, especially if it's a serious need. You've got to assume that they'll be aiming to get in a player that's available immediately (more-or-less) as the priority.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Maybe he will be announced on 22 January when Atgentina's tranfer window opens.

That's quite a salient point. The money has been paid, terms agreed but he cannot lawfully sign our contract until their transfer window opens?

Whoever is in Argentina with the documents probably has a shirt and a camera, so can take the shot and email it back when it's all done.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

That's quite a salient point. The money has been paid, terms agreed but he cannot lawfully sign our contract until their transfer window opens?

Whoever is in Argentina with the documents probably has a shirt and a camera, so can take the shot and email it back when it's all done.

We announced signing of Buonanotte on 15th January

 

[Smirko]

FFS this is dragging, just announce the signing, and then announce the loan later!

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

The club are working to their timetable not anyone else's and there's always going to be photoshoot and interview as it's 2024. Barco won't be linking up with the squad any time soon due to the Olympic qualifiers so there's no rush to make the announcement. I'm sure they would've liked to have kept it under wraps until the time was right but it was leaked by other sources.

OK, but the club know full well that it has been leaked.

They also know that supporters are passionate, and are very interested in signings and in some senses have a stake in the club which gives them more rights to know what is going on than say a shopper at Sainsburys would have the right to know that they've employed a new member of staff.

If the contracts have been signed and agreed 100%, sorry, but as a courtesy to the fan base they should announce it. As for the rest of the media and the rest of the world, who cares?

 

[Bakero]

OK, but the club know full well that it has been leaked.

They also know that supporters are passionate, and are very interested in signings and in some senses have a stake in the club which gives them more rights to know what is going on than say a shopper at Sainsburys would have the right to know that they've employed a new member of staff.

If the contracts have been signed and agreed 100%, sorry, but as a courtesy to the fan base they should announce it. As for the rest of the media and the rest of the world, who cares?

 

[Hugo Rune]

That's quite a salient point. The money has been paid, terms agreed but he cannot lawfully sign our contract until their transfer window opens?

Whoever is in Argentina with the documents probably has a shirt and a camera, so can take the shot and email it back when it's all done.

Technically, I believe we’ll have signed Barco as a free agent. A player surely has the ability to buy their contract out at any moment. But we obviously can’t register him as a player outside of our transfer window. If Boca had accepted a fee from us (not the proxy payment from Barco), I think your point would be 100% valid. In this case, I don’t think we signed him from Boca. He had no employment as soon as he purchased his contract.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Technically, I believe we’ll have signed Barco as a free agent. A player surely has the ability to buy their contract out at any moment. But we obviously can’t register him as a player outside of our transfer window. If Boca had accepted a fee from us (not the proxy payment from Barco), I think your point would be 100% valid. In this case, I don’t think we signed him from Boca. He had no employment as soon as he purchased his contract.

Eeess complicated.

 

[ConfusedGloryHunter]

Thank you for bringing this thread back on track. I agree. I imagine the complication is that he's not available for game-time until after the Argentinian U-23s break up. Any interested club that needs a LB/LW fairly quickly will not actually get Barco until mid-February which is much less enticing an offer, especially if it's a serious need. You've got to assume that they'll be aiming to get in a player that's available immediately (more-or-less) as the priority.

Does Fab know?

Also I don't like Fab.

 

[Rookie]

OK, but the club know full well that it has been leaked.

They also know that supporters are passionate, and are very interested in signings and in some senses have a stake in the club which gives them more rights to know what is going on than say a shopper at Sainsburys would have the right to know that they've employed a new member of staff.

If the contracts have been signed and agreed 100%, sorry, but as a courtesy to the fan base they should announce it. As for the rest of the media and the rest of the world, who cares?

Courtesy to the fan base sounds awfully precious. Why does it matter when the club announce something what difference will it make if it is announced today, tomorrow or 31 January?

 

[chaileyjem]

Thank you for bringing this thread back on track. I agree. I imagine the complication is that he's not available for game-time until after the Argentinian U-23s break up. Any interested club that needs a LB/LW fairly quickly will not actually get Barco until mid-February which is much less enticing an offer, especially if it's a serious need. You've got to assume that they'll be aiming to get in a player that's available immediately (more-or-less) as the priority.

Yes,. The Argentinian u23 commitment is the pre-Olympic tournament for u23s for South American teams that is being held in Venezuela. Barco is currently in Argentina at the pre- tournament camp. It runs from 20 January to 11 February 2024 . So there's a possibility - if he's joining the first team squad - then he might not be in the UK until the week leading up to Sheff Utd (A) on Feb 18th.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Courtesy to the fan base sounds awfully precious. Why does it matter when the club announce something what difference will it make if it is announced today, tomorrow or 31 January?

Because some fans are VERY needy, hence why the likes of 'he who shall not be mentioned by name' have people hanging off his every keystroke.

 

[Sheebo]

Me me meeeeeeeeee

 

[Flounce]

Me me meeeeeeeeee

It’s how he makes his living, don’t be so bitter! Football is awash with arseholes but this one does seem to have his finger on the pulse, for whatever reason, most of the time.

 

[Sheebo]

Signed on Friday… Strange one as he tweeted this on Thursday…

 

[Sheebo]

It’s how he makes his living, don’t be so bitter! Football is awash with arseholes but this one does seem to have his finger on the pulse, for whatever reason, most of the time.

I’m not bitter - I’m just pointing out he’s sent the same tweet with no new information 3 times since Thursday and is an attention seeker.. Quite why he has an army of fan boys is beyond me

 

[Flounce]

I’m not bitter - I’m just pointing out he’s sent the same tweet with no new information 3 times since Thursday and is an attention seeker.. Quite why he has an army of fan boys is beyond me

Of course he’s an attention seeker! I am no fan boy but he does seem very aware of what’s going down most of the time. The timelines are pretty irrelevant though aren’t they?

 

[Sheebo]

Of course he’s an attention seeker! I am no fan boy but he does seem very aware of what’s going down most of the time. The timelines are pretty irrelevant though aren’t they?

Yeh he has some good info for some transfers. Others he piggy backs and makes it look like his info. After how he was with Cucu etc and saying we’ll see who’s lied about an official club tweet, I have no time for him and personally think none of our fans should. Just my opinion chap