Barcelona Transfer News: Sofiane Feghouli Admits Contact, Plays Down Rumours

The wheels may already be in motion as Barcelona look to add Valencia maestro Sofiane Feghouli to their ranks after the winger admitted his representatives have been "in contact" with the club.

Speaking to French newspaper La Dauphine, Feghouli confessed that his agent has talked with Barca, but he was eager to assure fans he may yet extend his deal to remain with Los Che, per Football Espana: "My agent has been in contact with Barcelona. However, I'm only focused on playing and doing well in [Valencia's] next matches. Talks are under way [with Valencia over a renewal]. I feel comfortable here and have expressed a desire to stay."

Ivan Sekretarev/Associated Press

The Algeria international has risen to become an instrumental player at the Mestalla since arriving from Grenoble in 2010, and it seems the player's preference may be to remain in his current setting.

Barcelona are coming toward the end of their transfer embargo and it's likely the club will look to make reinforcements in January, especially after seeing Pedro leave for Chelsea this past summer.

The summer signings of Adra Turan and Aleix Vidal will be ready to strengthen Luis Enrique's squad when they can finally be registered as players on January 1, but Feghouli stands as another potential investment.

The 25-year-old recently bagged the sole goal in a 1-0 win over Lyon in the Champions League, where David Cartlidge of beIN Sports hailed the Valencia talisman as one of the most impressive to feature:

Feghouli scored six goals and recorded eight assists in 33 La Liga appearances last season and has made more than 175 appearances for Valencia in his four seasons at the club.

However, he isn't the only player being linked with a move to the Camp Nou, and Barcastuff has cited a poll from Spanish newspaper Sport where Feghouli was ranked as one of the least desirable January targets:

"

Poll: "Who would you sign for Barça in January?" Gundogan 57% - Nolito 18% - Denis 14% - Feghouli 11% #fcblive (1252 votes) [sport]

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) September 19, 2015"

Enrique has suffered a string of injuries lately, the most severe of which saw Rafinha tear his anterior cruciate ligament, potentially bringing his 2015-16 season to a premature end.

Captain Lionel Messi is a lesser concern and is expected to return to fitness at some point in November, but his absence will give Enrique a better idea as to how deep his ranks really are.

Feghouli is regarded as an important part of the Valencia puzzle at the Mestalla, but it appears the player may not be all that eager to trade in his prominence for the competition that would await him in Barcelona.