Roberto De Zerbi does not expect to let Valentin Barco go on loan when he links up with Albion.

The ten million dollar man from Boca Juniors will head to England in February after playing for Argentina in the CONMEBOL Under-23 Championship.

Albion boss De Zerbi said today: “He is a good player. We have to understand when he can start with us because there is the under-23 pre-Olympic tournament.

“At the moment we can’t play with him but in the future he can be an important player.”

Asked whether Barco could go out on loan, De Zerbi said: “I think we need other players because the number of injuries is still important. I think we need some more players.”

De Zerbi was non-committal in terms of what role Barco would play for Albion and said: “We have to watch on the pitch before we say any more.”