Strasbourg will back Patrick Vieira in January with Chelsea target Valentin Barco handed pathway

RC Strasbourg have a significant £22million January transfer budget to sign players, including Chelsea target Valentin Barco.

The 19-year-old could leave Boca Juniors this winter and is being targeted by the French club, offering him a future pathway into Mauricio Pochettino's first team at Stamford Bridge.

Strasbourg are the first club to join Chelsea in Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's multi-club model as part of BlueCo.

They have been given a significant transfer budget and have a remit to sign Under-23 players like Barco, who Manchester City and Brighton also target for their own multi-club operations.

The highly rated Argentina youth international has the blessing of Chelsea's chief scout in South America Alysson Marins. He can play in various positions on the left side of the pitch.

Chelsea's co-sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, also have have some influence over what happens at Strasbourg to ensure their business is joined up with Chelsea's thinking.

Manager Patrick Vieira will be backed with further signings to help his team, who are currently ninth in the Ligue 1 table. The Alsace club will have more room to manoeuvre in January than Chelsea as they are under less Financial Fair Play (FFP) pressure.

The Blues will be limited by historical spending, having spent £1billion across the last three transfer windows, even after raising nearly £400m in player sales last summer.

Trevoh Chalobah and Ian Maatsen are among the players who could be sold to allow new signings, with Conor Gallagher's future in some doubt.

Brentford's Ivan Toney, Napoli's Victor Osimhen, Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres and Club Brugge's Antonio Nusa are on Chelsea's radar to strengthen in forward positions. They also want a central defender, with Sporting's Ousmane Diomande having been contacted.