Valencia coach Nuno Espirito Santo has moved to suggest that star defender Jeremy Mathieu is on the verge of joining Barcelona.
The Catalans had earlier made the Frenchman one of their primary targets to replace Carles Puyol, but they were not prepared to match the €20 million release clause.
And while Valencia still insist they will not sell below the asking price, it appears Barcelona have changed their stance and they are now prepared to pay up in order to get their man.
Los Che boss Nuno Espirito Santo has moved to confirm reports linking Mathieu with an imminent switch to Camp Nou.
“The thing about Mathieu is no secret. We know that he is wanted by a great club who are willing to pay the termination clause,” the Portuguese coach was quoted as saying in Superdeporte.
“For us the clause is non-negotiable. If there’s a possibility (he could leave) we need to see other options and be prepared for that.
“We love Mathieu and believe he is the best centre-back in the world, but these things happen.”
Despite arriving at Mestalla as a left-sided defender, Mathieu went on to impress in the centre-back role, scoring 3 goals in 32 league starts last season.
The 30-year-old seems to have done enough to impress the Barcelona officials and is now expected to embark on a fresh challenge in his career.
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