Chelsea’s summer started as a spectacular rocket launch. The appointment of Xabi Alonso, followed swiftly by the signing of Morgan Rogers, had the Stamford Bridge soaring. It ended, however, with a crash landing. The sale of vice-captain Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City, and even more damaging, the failure to secure a replacement. The embarrassment of the deadline day snubs was so severe that one of the sporting directors responsible has since left his position.
Xabi Alonso was left with an early dilemma. Who would partner Chelsea’s midfield general, Moises Caicedo? The forever injured Romeo Lavia? The 36-year-old veteran Jordan Henderson? The club captain, full back turned midfielder Reece James? Or the wildcard, Valentin Barco?
While it is clear that the young Argentine is currently down the pecking order, I would not be surprised to see him rise quickly through the ranks and launch his Chelsea career. He reminds me somewhat of Philipp Lahm, in size, career path and technical ability. Like Lahm, Barco began his career as a full back, presumed too slight for the middle of the pitch. However, his outstanding technical level and natural understanding of the game were always pointing him towards a midfield role. It was not until he joined Liam Rosenior at Strasbourg that the move was finally made. The 22-year-old Argentine has since credited Rosenior as the man responsible “for making me the player I am.”
The numbers support this bold claim. Last season at Strasbourg, Barco completed more accurate through balls than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. More than Bruno Fernandes, Joshua Kimmich and Vitinha. We are the company we keep. And Barco is in the company of the midfield elite.
If you ignore his slight frame, you are looking at a near picture perfect midfielder, one who draws attributes across physical, technical and mental disciplines. It is early, but he looks like a future artist of the midfield.
If you watch him this season, expect high endurance, an instinct for dictating attacking tempo, sharp positional sense, imagination and expert execution. I was lucky enough to see his cameo off the bench at home to Hull City, and while it was a short sample size, what struck me most was this: his more experienced teammates look to pass to him at every opportunity. That is a nod of appreciation from his peers that carries more weight than the words of any journalist.
The youthful and at times unstable Chelsea vehicle has found its stabiliser in Jordan Henderson, who is serving his purpose perfectly. He was brought to provide calm and lay a balanced platform for the club’s exciting talent to build upon. He brings top class energy, positioning and above all, experience. He is a man who has seen every in game scenario, a coach playing within the eleven. But his prime is behind him and his role as a starter at a world leading club will not be long term. The marathon man will pass the baton. And Barco will lay claim to it.
Barco possesses a truly unique ability. He can receive the first pass from the defence to start an attack and then play the killer pass to the striker to finish it, all within the same attacking sequence. That is rare. A midfield magician with a wand of a left foot, all he needs is a spell of games to cast himself as a permanent fixture. Every general needs a lieutenant. And just like Harry needed Ron, Caicedo may have found his ginger wizard.