Barcelona Transfer News: Latest on Jeremy Mathieu and Sergi Samper Rumours

Besiktas have launched an ambitious transfer pursuit of Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu.

That’s according to NTVSpor.net (h/t Sport), who stated the Turkish side have bid €7 million (£5.86 million) for the centre-back. It’s reported Besiktas president Fikret Orman is the driving force behind the offer, with the club's interest in Thomas Vermaelen fizzling out.

The 32-year-old has been a dependable presence at the base of the Barcelona team since he joined from Valencia in the summer of 2014. While he’s not been a regular starter, Mathieu has done a fine job filling in for either Gerard Pique or Javier Mascherano in the heart of defence and occasionally for Jordi Alba at left-back.

There have been times when Barcelona fans have been critical of the player’s performances. However, as the Guardian’s Sid Lowe noted, he can be an easy target:

What may be a concern to the veteran Frenchman are his prospects of first-team football at the Camp Nou next season.

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While Barcelona have moved on Marc Bartra, the capture of Samuel Umtiti looks as though it’ll bump Mathieu down the pecking order. After all, the former Olympique Lyonnais man seems a younger, more dynamic version of Mathieu: left-sided, able to provide balance at the back and capable of filling in for Alba if needed.

Mathieu has enjoyed plenty of success with Barcelona in his two seasons with the club, including a famous treble in his debut campaign, plus a league-and-cup double last term. However, at his age, regular football is important, and there doesn’t seem to be any guarantee he’ll get that under manager Luis Enrique in 2016-17.

Sergi Samper Set to Extend Contract

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According to Barcelona director Albert Soler, Sergi Samper will extend his contract with the club this summer and join the first-team squad next season.

"Samper is staying, he will sign his contract as a first-team player," he said, per Sport. It’s also noted in the piece the Masia graduate has been offered chances to depart the Camp Nou in the past but has decided to stay and fight for his spot.

Javier Miguel of Sport added that Enrique has informed the 21-year-old that he has "full confidence and support" in the holding midfielder. It’s suggested that while Samper will be back-up to Sergio Busquets, he will get chances in the starting XI with Barca competing on multiple fronts.

Having shone in the youth setup, many consider Samper to be the natural heir to Busquets, knitting the play together as the nexus of the team. Here’s a look at why he’s so highly rated:

Integrating Samper into the squad will be a popular decision among the Barcelona supporters, who have seen a scarcity of talent make the step up from the academy into the first team recently.

Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez would rather see the youngster given a go than see the Blaugrana spend big on another midfielder:

Samper certainly seems to possess the skills required to be a big hit at the Camp Nou. He’s astute in his positioning on the pitch, able to distribute from deep and back up attacks with intelligence. That awareness is also evident in his defensive work, as he can shut down attacks with sharp reading of the game.

For a football club synonymous with youth development, it’s important the path from La Masia to the first team is one that remains well-trodden too.