Valentín “Colo” Barco will remain in France after Racing Club de Strasbourg exercised the €10 million purchase option to sign the Argentine left-footed talent on a long-term deal through June 2029.

After struggling to find minutes at Brighton and during a brief loan at Sevilla, Barco found his form in Strasbourg under manager Liam Rosenior. The French side impressed in Ligue 1, finishing seventh and qualifying for the UEFA Conference League — or potentially the Europa League if Lyon’s relegation is confirmed.

The 20-year-old Argentine shined in his role as a left-sided central midfielder, the same position he thrived in during his Boca Juniors days under Jorge Almirón. His resurgence earned him a return to the Argentina national team, receiving a call-up for the June 2025 qualifiers against Chile and Colombia.

In just 16 appearances, Barco convinced Strasbourg’s coaching staff and board to invest in his future. The club’s decision was supported by a record-breaking sale of Habib Diarra to Sunderland for €31.5 million, giving Strasbourg financial room to secure Barco’s transfer.

Lionel Messi is considering changing clubs before the World Cup.

Messi could be playing at a different club before the start of the World Cup next year. According to Esteban Edul, the 38 year old is considering playing elsewhere, other than Inter Miami, before the World Cup next year with the Argentina national team.

Speaking on television, here us what Esteban Edul had to say:

“Leo Messi and his family told me on Friday, that he is considering playing somewhere else for the six months leading up to the World Cup. At one point, he had his contract settled to stay on, but now that’s been put on hold.

“The first clubs that come to my mind are Newell’s and Barcelona.”

He had his contract put in place to remain with Inter Miami but that has since been put on hold. The Argentine has been with Inter Miami for two years.

Nico Paz will be staying at Como and will not be joining Real Madrid.

Paz is set to remain at the Serie A club for another season. According to Fabrizio Romano, the 20 year old is going to stay for one more season at the club with his transfer fer going up next year.

The Argentine’s buy back fee for Real Madrid is €9 million for this summer and €10 million for next summer.