A month has already passed since
Valentín Barco
arranged his continuity in Europe to be a reinforcement for
Brighton & Hove Albion
after activating the 10 million dollar clause that allowed him to terminate his contract with Boca Juniors, which expired in December.
However, when the young full-back arrives at the Gaviotas club, he is missing the most important thing: minutes on the pitch, or at least his first call-up.
That's what
Roberto De Zerbi
talked about , the Italian coach who took charge of the team in September 2022 and has been performing great in the
Premier League
.
In the run-up to the round of 16 of the
FA Cup
, where Brighton will face Wolverhampton, De Zerbi gave a press conference where he was forceful about Barco's current situation and his integration into the squad, which is seventh in the league.
During the press conference, a journalist asked the coach about the chance of seeing Colo among those called up for the next games, taking into account that his team has been suffering several losses due to injuries, and he was forceful in his response.
“It's not ready.
We knew before the transfer market opened that bringing a player from another country was going to be very hard for him.
He is a good player.
“We are going to help him understand everything,” responded the Italian coach.
"Valentín Barco 🇦🇷 is not ready. We knew before the transfer market opened. A player from another country... is very difficult for him. He is a good footballer, we are going to help him understand everything."
✍️Roberto De Zerbi, coach of Brighton 🏴
pic.twitter.com/ukuN1B7NY7
— VarskySports (@VarskySports) February 27, 2024
Much was said about Barco's performance in Boca, who did not complete a consolidated year as a starter in the La Ribera team, and Juan Román Riquelme had no qualms about leaving his point of view on the footballer's departure to continue his career. in the Old World.
In Boca there was the feeling that Colo had a couple of years left in Argentine football before proving himself in the elite, which means facing the best teams and players on the planet.
According to what De Zerbi said, Brighton has contemplated an adaptation process for the May 25 boy, who will turn 20 years old in July.
“It's difficult to know if he's ready to play.
It is very hard for young people who come from outside.
We have to give him a lot of time to understand the new country and get used to the intended style,” explained De Zerbi in a conference, also putting on the table that his team is not just another one in the competition since it plays with a very defined style. , which is not easy to adapt to.
Barquito arrived at Brighton after fulfilling the goal of qualifying for Paris 2024 with the Argentine Under 23 Team, in the South American Olympic Qualifiers in Venezuela.
His performance was irregular, with a childish expulsion at a key moment against Venezuela, although in the last game he scored the center for the winning goal against Brazil.
His first image on British soil showed him strengthening his physique, one of the observations made to him in Boca and that left him exposed in the toughest matches that Xeneize had in 2023, the two classics against River and against Fluminense in the final of the Libertadores, where the kid didn't measure up.
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Brighton's next matches will have Colo looking forward to his first time with the Seagulls, who visit the Wolves for the FA Cup and then will continue their path in the Premier and Europa League, where they will face Fulham, on March 2, and Roma respectively. by Leandro Paredes and Paulo Dybala, on Thursday the 7th.