Chelsea have a lot of notable absentees from this World Cup. But one player, who has not even arrived yet but will be in the tournament, is Valentin Barco. The midfielder/left-back enjoyed a brilliant campaign at Strasbourg and that has earned him the call-up. And we got a chance to see him in action against Honduras.
Argentina, of course, will be looking to defend the World Cup this time around. Of course, that won’t be easy to pull off. The last team to do was Brazil, back in 1962. That is how long it has been.
Argentina started their preparations for the World Cup with a friendly against Honduras. It was very much an opportunity for Lionel Scaloni to check out what is available to him going into the tournament.
Barco made the start. But he was taken off at half-time for Rodrigo De Paul. And his performance seems to have divided the opinion of the fans.
What Chelsea fans thought about Valentin Barco’s performance for Argentina
One Chelsea fan wrote regarding Barco’s display: “Top work rate and progressive passing. That’s a proper Barco performance.”
But then, a large portion of the fanbase was not impressed. One wrote: “You’ve started. What’s top about this performance?”
That was not a rare criticism either. Another said: “He did absolutely nothing. Passing sideways and losing the ball often.”
Overall, most saw it as an average display from the Argentine midfielder. Of course, it is about him taking some time to adapt to the national team as well. He is not someone who has been a regular.
It is unlikely that he will be a starter at the World Cup. But Barco could have his part to play as the weather is expected to have a toll on the players and the bench depth could need to be utilised as much as possible.
Will Barco turn out to be a good signing for Chelsea?
It is impossible to predict this. One thing is for sure, he needs to be given time to adjust. He is not the kind of player who is going to come in and immediately establish himself as one of the best in the Premier League.
On the contrary, we have already seen him struggle in the Premier League. Brighton & Hove Albion have a tremendous record of developing talent. So, the fact that they were willing to let him leave so easily is not a positive sign.
Anyways, let’s see how things go for Barco at this World Cup. Then we can start thinking about holds for him at Chelsea.
A lot will depend on Xabi Alonso and the role he wants Barco to play as well. The Spaniard has shown in the past that he can get the best out of youngsters with his smart tactical decisions.
