Brighton have agreed a deal to sign highly-rated teenager Valentín Barco from Boca Juniors after agreeing to pay his $10m (£7.8m) release clause.
Scouts from Brighton are understood to have been tracking the 19-year-old, who can play as a left-back or winger, for several months and held positive talks with Boca officials last week. Barco is currently with the Argentina Under-23 side preparing for the Olympic qualifying tournament and is expected to complete a medical in his homeland before finalising his move to the Premier League in the coming days.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side are believed to have made signing a full-back in this window one of their priorities, with regular left-back Pervis Estupiñán having only just returned from injury. Barco, who has made 23 senior appearances for Boca, is expected to sign a four-and-a-half-year contract, with the option of a further 12 months.
Reports in Argentina have claimed that his release clause was due to to increase from $10m to $14m this week, with Manchester City also having previously shown an interest. But after several successful signings from South America, including Moisés Caicedo who joined Chelsea for a British record fee in the summer, Barco’s impending arrival represents another coup for Brighton.
