“Maybe if they had answered the phone we wouldn’t be having this chat and I would still be playing for Boca”

Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion have completed the signing of Valentín Barco from Argentinian giants Boca Juniors, but how have they captured this rough diamond of a player for just $10 million? It is a fee that is surprisingly low for a rising star in today's football market.

In the last year Alejo Véliz went to Spurs from Rosario Central for over $16 million and now Claudio Echeverri is signing for Manchester City from River Plate for a similar price despite barely playing for the senior side. Perhaps Barco, who helped to take Boca Juniors all the way to the Copa Libertadores Final, deserves a similar or even higher price tag than these other Premier League transfers.

Brighton fans will be delighted to see another shrewd piece of business completed by their club. Boca Juniors fans on the other hand are not happy. They believe that such a talent should have left for at least double the money, and they don’t know whether to be angry with the player or the club itself for letting this happen.

In an interview with ESPN Argentina, Valentín Barco gave his side of the story. He said that the deal was completed between the two clubs and both his agent and father were involved in talks, not himself. He also mentioned that he was waiting for a new contract offer from Boca that never came.

One thing is for sure; Boca Juniors loss is Brighton’s gain. The left-back is still just 19 years-old but was a shining light in a Boca team that flattered to deceive in 2023, despite a run to the continental final. Barco is technically gifted and loves to bound down the touchline and help to link up attacks. Brighton have a proven track record of buying talented youngsters and improving them, it should be a match made in heaven.

Even if Barco doesn’t quite hit the heights at Brighton you would be shocked if he isn’t sold on for double the money in a few years. It wouldn’t be too difficult for the Seagulls to make a profit on a promising $10 million man.

“People might not know this but when I renewed my contract I wasn’t even playing for the reserves” Barco continued. “It’s a lot of money (the release clause) for the position I was in at that time. Nobody thought this would happen.” Boca might not have realised the quality of the player that they had on their hands back then, but they should have realised in 2023, and signed Barco up to a new contract.

Boca may have scrambled to do so before Brighton came calling but it seemed too little too late. “They didn’t present a formal offer, they said that I had to present something,” said Barco “they would barely answer the phone. I was surprised. If you’re interested then you answer. Maybe if they had answered the phone we wouldn’t be having this chat and I would still be playing for Boca.”

Such comments suggest that Barco was open to staying at Boca, or at least signing a new deal to help the club get a higher fee for him. However the reality is that the bright lights of the Premier League, an exciting career path and a new pay-packet would be almost impossible for any young Argentinian to turn down, or actively deter.

Boca won’t want to make the same mistake with another young star, but Brighton have played a blinder with this one, and Valentín Barco will hit new heights with the English side.