Chelsea summer signing Valentin Barco believes becoming a midfielder "changed my life".
Chelsea signing Barco grateful for move to midfield
Valentin Barco made a name for himself as an attacking left-back, but feels a switch to midfield has significantly propelled his career.
Barco joined Chelsea on a seven-year deal following a £34m (€40m) move from Strasbourg, who are the Blues' sister club.
He made 58 appearances for the French club overall, with no other Strasbourg player featuring in more matches since his arrival (Ismael Doukoure also on 58), scoring three goals and providing 11 assists.
Barco's performances earned him a place in Argentina's World Cup, though he made just one appearance as they finished runners-up behind Spain.
Although he joined Strasbourg from Brighton as a left-back prospect, Barco played 92% of his minutes in central midfield positions last season, a decision which had a big impact on the 22-year-old.
"I think the change of position changed my life," Barco said.
"It helped me enormously to get back into playing, to be an important part of the team, to return to the Argentina national team, to go to the World Cup, and now to be able to return to the Premier League.
"I feel comfortable playing in midfield. I love it because you get on the ball a lot, and that way you control the game and set the pace, so I think that period was very important for my career and my life.
"I chose Chelsea because it's one of the best clubs in the world, so if Chelsea come calling, you have to say yes. I had a few chats with Xabi Alonso and, for me, he's one of the best in the world – he was a top player himself.
"He was one of the best players in this position, and now he's one of the most outstanding managers."
