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

[The Fits]

I think recent events have highlighted that Mitoma's effectiveness is doubled when paired with Estupinan.

Yup. He's twice the player with Pervis behind him.

 

[chaileyjem]

agree with this, but the (slight) possibility of a gazumping should not be ruled out.
Our reputation for identifying talent, and the increasing lack of secrecy on our main targets, could leave this risk more open than we would like.

We’ve done the homework here with interest going back a year, our track record of developing young players is self evident, and - even in this case it’s at final stages so too late - the chance of others wanting In now are unlikely . Positively cos they can’t compete with Albion anyway , or because the elite clubs don’t have the model to take the risk on signing relatively unproven 19 year olds or have a gap in that position.

 

[maltaseagull]

Respectfully, I think it's the blue and white tinted glasses.

Neither have any special prior connection to the club and will want to play the highest level football for the most money possible.

We just have to hope they behave like Mac Allister and not Sanchez.

I see it the same as the previous poster, Estupinan is our most likely sale in the summer, especially if Mitoma and Ferguson continue with their patchy form. There just aren't that many great left backs around.

Adingra covers loss of Mitoma. Barco covers Estupinan.

Agreed but who will cover Adingra and March when they are injured?
Barco and Estupinan would be a superb option at LB or Midfield and swapping around too !

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Yup. He's twice the player with Pervis behind him.

Over overlapping him and drawing a defender!

 

[Weststander]

I would expect Pervis to be our most in demand transfer target in the summer transfer window.
He's oven ready and one of the most effective left-sided defenders in the Premier League. There isn't a team in the Premier League that doesn't become stronger with Pervis in it.
In the summer window once two or three teams start bidding for Pervis I expect him to be another £50m player that allows us to keep buying players like Barco.
More importantly, we also have to keep demonstrating that we have a pathway for the young talented players to move on to bigger clubs and receive mega salaries otherwise we don't get them to join us in the first place.

Many (not most) supporters and pundits don't seem to understand our business model and think we should keep players like Caicedo and Mac Allister. But without demonstrating that our pathway has gates that open at both ends of the young players journeys we don't get them to join us in the first place.

£50m’s too for a LB the equal of any. I think you meant >.

[CL income increases by 40% next season].

 

[Motogull]

He looks like a contender for the '7'. Nice.

 

[peterward]

We’ve done the homework here with interest going back a year, our track record of developing young players is self evident, and - even in this case it’s at final stages so too late - the chance of others wanting In now are unlikely . Positively cos they can’t compete with Albion anyway , or because the elite clubs don’t have the model to take the risk on signing relatively unproven 19 year olds or have a gap in that position.

Off to West Ham for 100k per week by Tuesday!

 

[US Seagull]

Fully get what your saying but while Mac and MC felt like they’d always move one, feels like Pervis and Mitoma might hang around longer for a reason I can’t quite put my finger on.

In the case of Mitoma, he turned down a chance to go pro early since he didn't feel ready and he wanted to finish his degree.

Mitoma has a history of carefully considering his career moves. That makes me think he's not going to jump immediately at the first big money offer.

 

[macbeth]

I think the big difference is that we are now at a stage where de Zerbi, is arguably our most valuable asset
He has been making overtures that the club policy of buy-develop-sell won't inspire him to stay.

Estupinan and Mitoma are two of his most over-used players.
Not selling them next season, may well be the sweetener required to keep him.

maybe, but i don’t think it’s as simple as saying the buy-to-sell policy isn’t inspiring him to stay. he’s said multiple times that he understands the policy, and therefore i think there is an extent to how much he or the club would be willing to budge. i think what’s worth avoiding is cucurella or caicedo scenarios, where we can only get these players to stay for 12/18mths.

i genuinely don’t think he’d be off if we sold pervis next summer. he’ll have done two years here, and would probably leave with the club’s and RDZ’s blessing. if we sold joao pedro, on the other hand, (who we will definitely get bids for), after only a year, then i’d expect him to be very unhappy.

I also think how we replace these players comes into it somewhat too. Again, i think he understands that we can’t/won’t spend what the likes of villa, newcastle or west ham do. but there needs to be a bit more invested in experience when we lose these stalwarts. i don’t think continually replacing £115M players with youngsters as raw as sashimi will inspire him to stay either.

 

[Zeberdi]

Front page of Ole - translates with Apple or Google translate ok

Diario deportivo OLE - Argentina

www.ole.com.ar

“Boca's decision

The advantage for Boca of negotiating with the English club that Alexis Mac Allister was to at the time is that he would have a percentage of a future sale, although the proposal of the nine million would be in comfortable installments. And the other way around it would be the clause, with all the money paid at the time, but without the possibility of future percentages, despite the fact that there are those who doubt that Brighton has that amount available and can pay it.

Clearly, it is a pressure from Barco to leave now. It is defined on Monday. But he's ready to set sail...”

 

[Igzilla]

I won't get excited until I see the first flight radar post...

 

[peterward]

Front page of Ole - translates with Apple or Google translate ok

Diario deportivo OLE - Argentina

www.ole.com.ar

“Boca's decision

The advantage for Boca of negotiating with the English club that Alexis Mac Allister was to at the time is that he would have a percentage of a future sale, although the proposal of the nine million would be in comfortable installments. And the other way around it would be the clause, with all the money paid at the time, but without the possibility of future percentages, despite the fact that there are those who doubt that Brighton has that amount available and can pay it.

Clearly, it is a pressure from Barco to leave now. It is defined on Monday. But he's ready to set sail...”

Unless thats lost in translation, thats clearly bollocks and lack of intelligent assessment.

Billionaire Bloom/Albion who just banked 150+m in last window are struggling to rustle up 10m?

 

[Zeberdi]

Off to West Ham for 100k per week by Tuesday!

Not likely

I do think there are obviously translation glitches - it’s never perfect - I suspect it means they recognise that because of our resources, we would rather pay the sell on fee than a higher amount up front because that is the business model that makes us sustainable and fits with our being a pathway for young development players.

Ole is the most important sports newspaper in Argentina - that we make front page news is actually quite impressive imo and helps to further solidify our pathway reputation for South American youth talent.

Story also notes that Barco seems to have said his goodbyes to Boca …

”….this Monday will already be without Barco, who was presented on 2/1 at the beginning of the pre-season in Ezeiza, but who left: he is currently training with Mascherano's U23 National Team that will play the Pre-Olympic of Venezuela. With what, he already seems to have said goodbye to Boca.”

 

[Uh_huh_him]

maybe, but i don’t think it’s as simple as saying the buy-to-sell policy isn’t inspiring him to stay. he’s said multiple times that he understands the policy, and therefore i think there is an extent to how much he or the club would be willing to budge. i think what’s worth avoiding is cucurella or caicedo scenarios, where we can only get these players to stay for 12/18mths.

i genuinely don’t think he’d be off if we sold pervis next summer. he’ll have done two years here, and would probably leave with the club’s and RDZ’s blessing. if we sold joao pedro, on the other hand, (who we will definitely get bids for), after only a year, then i’d expect him to be very unhappy.

I also think how we replace these players comes into it somewhat too. Again, i think he understands that we can’t/won’t spend what the likes of villa, newcastle or west ham do. but there needs to be a bit more invested in experience when we lose these stalwarts. i don’t think continually replacing £115M players with youngsters as raw as sashimi will inspire him to stay either.

De Zerbi has said he understands the Policy.
That doesn't necessarily mean that he is happy with it.

His career will be measured by his development season by season.
Continually having to rebuild a competitive squad every season, isn't going to allow him to prove himself at the next level.

Emery has been allowed to push on from an impressive first season at Villa, and continue to develop the team.
De Zerbi was cut off at the knees.
Whilst I'm sure he understands why, he hasn't stopped reminding people that we lost 3 important players from last season.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

This transfer - according to the credible reporting - is pretty much done. There’s real journalists - not the kids making stuff up - confirming it with sources from Boca ,, Albion and the player left right and centre. Ignore one of them if you want (and they are certainly reliable as well) but the days of having to wait for the scarf pic are largely over (unless you want to !).

The 'pretty much done' bit is EXACTLY why I don't give these people an ounce of credibility.

Twats.

 

[The Fits]

There's absolutely nothing we can do about players leaving. That's been proven consistently over the last couple of seasons. Unless we can start offering 6 figure salaries and champions league football I'm afraid our best players will always leave. It's just the way it is. RDZ knows that too.

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

I'm intrigued as to what makes you think we'd use him on the right? Everything I've seen seems to make pretty clear that he plays exclusively on the left.

If, as you suggest, he is a succession plan, it would be for either Pervis or Mitoma IMO.

I may be completely wrong, but I don't see him as a first choice replacement for Pervis or Mitoma.

He's very small and lightweight. Yes, he can play FB, but much of the Argentinian analysis I've read seems to think he's better suited to be a winger. Very creative, highly technical, although not blisteringly quick and lacking a bit defensively.

De Zerbi prefers his wingers inverted, left footed Solly and Buonanotte on the right, right footed Mitoma on the left. Adingra is the exception, a right footer on the right, but his whoscored.com ratings as a left winger are higher than on the right.

That said, I did see one article that touted Barco as a potential number 10, so who knows?

 

[Wozza]

Unless thats lost in translation, thats clearly bollocks and lack of intelligent assessment.

Billionaire Bloom/Albion who just banked 150+m in last window are struggling to rustle up 10m?

Yeah, and they've got all our money for the R16 UEL home game v [opponent and KO time TBC].

 

[macbeth]

Emery has been allowed to push on from an impressive first season at Villa, and continue to develop the team.
De Zerbi was cut off at the knees.
Whilst I'm sure he understands why, he hasn't stopped reminding people that we lost 3 important players from last season.

hence why i wrote about the replacements for the players sold, as i feel that’s where the major issue was. dahoud and baleba for roughly £150M talent was nowhere near enough. i may be contradicting myself here, as i previously said we don’t really spend what they do, and we don’t, but look at what west ham did with rice. brought in alvarez, nowhere near as well rounded and a bit older than we’d buy, but was ready to come in and do what rice’s main job was, which was to provide solidarity at that midfield base. and consequently they haven’t really suffered his departure. exactly what we didn’t do

i don’t think selling players like pervis, who would have done two years and well and truly proven his quality is where the issue is. it’s about not being able to keep the likes of caicedo for even two years.

 

[The Fits]

I may be completely wrong, but I don't see him as a first choice replacement for Pervis or Mitoma.

He's very small and lightweight. Yes, he can play FB, but much of the Argentinian analysis I've read seems to think he's better suited to be a winger. Very creative, highly technical, although not blisteringly quick and lacking a bit defensively.

De Zerbi prefers his wingers inverted, left footed Solly and Buonanotte on the right, right footed Mitoma on the left. Adingra is the exception, a right footer on the right, but his whoscored.com ratings as a left winger are higher than on the right.

That said, I did see one article that touted Barco as a potential number 10, so who knows?

I totally agree. He's coming as someone who can cover Pervis and contribute down the left but he could end up anywhere. All the analysis I've read and all the videos I've watched indicate a versatile attacking player. Thing is it's the left footed thing. As a left footed myself I notice it a lot- for some reason we all think anyone left footed should play wide. And I accept he has played wide so far in his career. But if he was right footed, like TAA or even Hinsh, we'd think he could play anywhere. Maybe I'm overstating that but I do think it's a 'thing'.