Mathieu is fearful of losing game time and seeks exit from Barça

Jeremy Mathieu is pessimistic about his chances of getting much playing time in the upcoming season.

The French central defender was the fith defender in the list of those with most games last season (34 matches), so it could be said that he was the first substitute for the back line.

The outlook for this campaign however, seems bleaker to him.

The arrivals of Samuel Umtiti, a left-sided centre-back, and Lucas Digne, a left back, narrow his path to the first team.

Faced with this perspective, Mathieu fears that his role will diminish with respect to last season, and he is analysing the transfer market to determine if any offers may come his way which offer a brighter future.

Mathieu, who picked up an injury at the end of last season, underwent an operation, and then suffered a relapse that robbed him of a place at Euro 2016, began pre-season preparations on Tuesday in perfect condition.

At the moment, he is still considered a member of the squad for the new season, but the club are aware that he is carefully weighing up his options.

The Frenchman has been at the club for two seasons, after arriving for 20 million euros from Valencia, and he signed a four-year contract at Camp Nou.

Barcelona would seek 10 million euros for him, and there have already been some rumours of interested parties, such as the Liverpool of Jurgen Klopp, and Besiktas.

At the age of 32, the chance of moving to Anfield would be viewed very favourably by the player, as it would guarantee him the chance to sign his last big contract of his professional career.

The French newspaper 'Le Parisien', which printed the story of the Premier League side's interest, did not offer much detail in terms of the figures involved. 

However in the last hours it has also come to light that the Turkish club Besiktas could offer around seven million euros for the player, so it can be expected that the Liverpool offer would be comparable to this amount.