Man City lining up January transfer agreement with Leicester City | OneFootball

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Leicester City could land Valentin Barco on loan if Manchester City complete the signing of the Boca Juniors man in the January transfer window.

Who is Valentin Barco?

The 19-year-old is rated as one of the top prospects in Argentinian football, with Barco a regular for the Buenos Aires giants, and he has also represented his country at U20 level.

Capable of playing in different positions, Barco is primarily a left-back, but his technical ability means he can adapt well further up the pitch.

Man City looking to sign Valentin Barco

And, his potential has caught the eye of several Premier League clubs, as it had been claimed that Brighton were hoping to sign the teenager.

However, the champions have pushed ahead in the race to bring in the player, with The Sun revealing that they are preparing a package worth around £13m to get the deal done.

Crucially, the update states that if everything is finalised, Pep Guardiola plans to loan Barco out to the Foxes, as he believes it will be a vital next step for his development.

Of course, the two clubs have a link as Leicester chief Enzo Maresca worked with City before taking the job with the Midlands outfit in the summer. So, Guardiola will be aware of exactly how the Championship leaders want to play, and it will be a similar style to City.

Do Leicester need Valentin Barco?

In truth, this seems like the sort of deal you just can’t say no to.

James Justin is a brilliant option at left-back, and he understands exactly what Maresca wants, so Barco will not go straight in the XI in that position, but he does offer more depth for that role.

But, as mentioned, part of the appeal of Barco is his versatility, and he has the ability to play in midfield for the Foxes, where he will be key to the way they keep the ball.

Therefore, this would be a real coup for Leicester, and it would be an example of how they have benefited from a close relationship with one of the top teams in the country.

From Barco’s perspective, it would also be a brilliant move as he gets to experience English football for the first time, with a Leicester side that are expected to win the Championship title now.

What next for Leicester?

After successive defeats, there was some pressure building on Leicester, but they got back on track with a 2-0 victory against Watford on Saturday.

With Ipswich dropping points, it means they are now three clear at the top, but, more importantly, they extended their lead over the chasing pack, as Leeds and Southampton only drew. That means they are ten points clear of third place after 17 games.

Maresca clearly has one eye on the January window, where he will want to make one or two quality additions to help the squad, but his only real focus will be the next game.

Leicester are back in action on Wednesday when they make the trip to bottom of the table Sheffield Wednesday.