Chelsea are interested in signing the Argentine defender Valentin Barco from Boca Juniors.

A report via Fichajes claims that Chelsea have now intensified their efforts to sign the 19-year-old full-back and they will face competition from Premier League rivals, Manchester City.

Barco is highly rated in South America and he could be a quality long-term acquisition for Chelsea. The Blues need to bring in more quality in the left-back department, especially with the way Marc Cucurella has performed since joining the club.

Meanwhile, Ian Maatsen has been linked with an exit as well. Barco could prove to be a quality alternative to Ben Chilwell if the likes of Cucurella and Maatsen leave the club in the near future.

The 19-year-old certainly has the potential to develop into a quality Premier League defender and working under the likes of Mauricio Pochettino could help him develop further.

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Meanwhile, Manchester City need to bring in a specialist full-back as well. Pep Guardiola has had to rely on his central defenders to operate as the full-back in recent months. The 19-year-old will add a new dimension to the Chelsea and Manchester City attack going forward and he can be a reliable defender as well.

Both Chelsea and Manchester City will be exciting destinations for the player and it will be interesting to see where he ends up. The two clubs certainly have the financial resources to get the deal done and it remains to be seen if they can secure an agreement with Boca Juniors now.