The 19-year-old helped inspire Boca to the Copa Libertadores final and is ready to take the plunge into European football
Manchester City pulled off one of the steals of the 21st century when they signed Julian Alvarez in January 2022. The striker was only just making a name for himself in Argentina when City struck a deal with River Plate for just £14 million ($17m), and 18 months later he had lifted every trophy imaginable, a World Cup winner with the Albiceleste and a crucial part of City's treble-winning team.
While Brazil has become a highly-competitive hunting ground for European clubs searching for young talent in the last few years, Argentina continues to be overlooked in comparison, meaning teams can get real value for money. And nearly two years after unearthing Alvarez, City are one of several clubs casting their eye over the next superstar to come out of Argentina.
Valentin Barco, 19, has emerged as one of the top players for Boca Juniors and, like Alvarez, has built his reputation in the Copa Libertadores, South America's answer to the Champions League. Barco helped the Xeneize reach the 2023 final, where they were narrowly beaten in extra-time by Fluminense at the Maracana, but is being tipped for far bigger things in the future.
In his first full year in the Buenos Aires' giants first team, the teenager has stood out in a side of veterans including Edinson Cavani, Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero. He broke into the team as a marauding left-back but soon evolved into an attacking playmaker, showing versatility that will stand him in good stead when he eventually takes the next logical step and heads to Europe…
Boca Juniors oficialWhere it all began
Barco grew up in the town of 25 de Mayo in Buenos Aires province and shone for local side Club Atletico Sportivo as a striker. He attracted the attention of Boca's scouts and was signed by the club at the age of nine by highly-respected scout Ramon Maddoni, who discovered Carlos Tevez, Juan Roman Riquelme, Esteban Cambiasso and Fernando Redondo, among others.
Barco, though, decided to remain with his family and each day would embark on a 450-kilometre roundtrip each day from his hometown to Boca's La Candela training base in the capital. "I'd go to school in the morning and train in the afternoon and it was a three or four hour journey. I'd get home at 10 or 11 at night," he recalled.
"I'm so grateful to my family, they made huge sacrifices for me since a young age and that's why I matured quicker than normal. What they did was very difficult, they gave up everything for me. Their dream was to see me make my debut at the Bombonera and they said that once I'd done that, they could die happily."
Barco made his Boca debut in 2021 at the age of 16 against Union, becoming the fourth-youngest player in the club's history.
AdvertisementMarcelo Endelli/Getty ImagesThe big break
Barco consolidated his place in Jorge Almiron's side at the start of 2023, and he showed his quality and maturity in a Copa Libertadores group game at home to Deportivo Pereira. With their side trailing 1-0, Boca's vociferous fans were booing their side, who could barely string a pass together.
The one exception was Barco, who led the way in every statistical department, taking more touches, making more tackles, attempting more dribbles and drawing more fouls than any of his team-mates. Boca levelled in the 89th minute before Barco set up the winning goal deep in added-time with a pin-point cross for Alan Varela, who hailed his teenage team-mate as "a phenomenon".
Barco struck his first goal for Boca in another Libertadores game against Monagas, while he was the star of the show in 2-1 league win over Newell's Old Boys, scoring the first goal before setting up the second with a dinked cross for team-mate Cristian Medina.
Getty ImagesHow it's going
In the space of little more than six months, Barco went from being an impressionable teenager to Boca's most influential player and one of the spearheads of their charge to the Copa Libertadores final.
He began as a left-back, but as Almiron started to realise the true extent of his talent, he moulded him into an attacking midfield playmaker. Although he has continued to wear the number 19, Barco has taken on the prestigious role of Boca's No.10, following in the footsteps of Diego Maradona and Riquelme. He has two goals and eight assists in all competitions.
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Getty Biggest strengths
Barco is following in the fine Argentine tradition of dribbling, meaning he is frequently fouled. He is remarkably adept with both feet, as comfortable crossing with his left as he is shooting with his right. And he has developed his passing game, leading to him being used more as an attacking midfielder than a full-back, even if he prefers the latter.
"I feel comfortable in both roles and I'll play whether the coach or team needs me," he told . "A lot of people see me as a midfielder as my main quality is attacking play, but I love to play at left-back because I have the whole pitch in front of me."
The teenager also has proved to have nerves of steel in clutch moments, calmly converting decisive penalties in shootout wins over Nacional in the Libertadores and Talleres de Cordoba in the Copa Argentina.