Brighton poised to confirm £8m deal for Boca Juniors starlet Valentin Barco after he completed a medical - with Seagulls beating Man City in the race for in-demand 19-year-old

• e-mail

Brighton are poised to confirm the signing of Valentin Barco from Boca Juniors after he had a medical yesterday. 

The highly-rated 19-year-old, who can also play as a winger, is with Argentina's Under-23 squad. 

He has agreed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the option of a further 12 months. 

Manchester City showed an interest in hijacking the Seagulls' swoop for the youngster, who is a Boca Juniors regular, before Brighton sealed the deal.

The Seagulls' scouting network in the Americas has helped them land numerous emerging talents over the years. 

Brighton are poised to confirm the signing of wonderkid Valentin Barco from Boca Juniors

Their status as a club in Europe who can still offer a clear pathway to first-team football is attractive. 

In the summer, they sold Moises Caicedo - recruited directly from Ecuador - to Chelsea for a British record £115m. 

Barco has played 35 times for Boca Juniors since breaking into their first team in 2021 and featured in the loss to Fluminense in the Copa Libertadores final last year.

Brighton sit seventh in the Premier League table, three points adrift of West Ham. 

Roberto De Zerbi's side topped their Europa League group after winning their last four matches and are awaiting their opponents in the first knockout round.

They are next in action against Wolves on 22 January.