Barcelona in fresh assault on Mathieu

Barcelona are set to reignite their interest in Valencia defender Jeremy Mathieu, El Mundo Deportivo has revealed.

The Catalans attempted to lure the Frenchman to Camp Nou last summer and have since continued to monitor his performances.

And while their interest seemed to have cooled off, the imminent arrival of Luis Enrique could change everything.

Namely, the new Barcelona boss is a big fan of the French defender and he was full of praise for him as his former club Celta faced Valencia on the final day of the season.

And while Mathieu has asked his agent not to entertain any offers for his services this summer, the highly rated footballer could change his mind if the Catalans continue to persist.

Even if the 30-year-old spent the majority of his career playing as a left-back, he was mostly used as a centre-back this season and even suggested he preferred being played in a central role.