According to a report by The Athletic on Thursday, November 5, 2026, Chelsea midfielder Valentin Barco has revealed the Argentina international he would like the club to sign, identifying Atletico Madrid defender Cristian Romero as his preferred transfer target.

The 21-year-old made the revelation during a conversation with journalist Gaston Edul, who asked him which player he would request Chelsea's owners to bring to Stamford Bridge.

Responding to the question, Barco simply said "Cuti", referring to Romero by his popular nickname. His answer suggests that he would welcome the opportunity to share the same club dressing room with the experienced defender.

Barco has played alongside several prominent footballers in the Argentina national team, including Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez. However, he appears particularly interested in the possibility of joining forces with Romero at Chelsea.

The 28-year-old centre-back recently brought his spell in English football to an end after leaving Tottenham Hotspur for Atletico Madrid during the summer transfer window.

During his time at Tottenham, Romero experienced several difficult encounters against Chelsea. He faced the London club eight times, recording six defeats, one victory and one draw. The defender was also sent off during one of the meetings between the two sides.

Despite his disappointing record against the Blues, Romero has maintained a strong reputation as an experienced defender capable of strengthening a team's defensive department.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville previously expressed surprise that Chelsea did not make a serious attempt to sign the Argentine during the summer transfer window.

Reports from Corriere dello Sport also indicated that Chelsea were among several European clubs monitoring his situation. Inter Milan, Barcelona and Arsenal were reportedly interested before he eventually completed his move to Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea instead strengthened their defensive options by signing Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace in a deal worth £52 million. However, the French defender is currently recovering from a hamstring injury and is expected to remain unavailable for the rest of 2026.

Romero's potential transfer to Stamford Bridge would also have presented complications because of the longstanding rivalry between Chelsea and Tottenham.

Although relations between the London clubs have recently shown signs of improvement through other player transfers, selling Tottenham's captain directly to Chelsea would have been a considerably more sensitive decision.

For now, Barco's comments have highlighted his admiration for Romero, although there is no confirmation that Chelsea are preparing a move for the Atletico Madrid defender.