Barcelona's international director of sports Ariedo Braida has revealed that the Spanish giants are "observing" the performances of Sporting Lisbon attacker Gelson Martins.

The 21-year-old, who came through the youth system at Sporting, has scored twice in seven appearances for his Portuguese club this season, adding to the seven goals that he managed last term.

Gelson also impressed against Real Madrid in the Champions League last month and Braida, has confirmed that Barcelona are "watching" the attacker as they consider a move.

"The only thing I can say is that we are watching Gelson," Braida told reporters. "He's a young player with a lot of talent who Barcelona are observing and will continue to observe.

"We have reports on various players and Gelson is one of them. A January signing? No, we're just watching him. We've not even spoken with anyone about Gelson.

"I won't lie to you, we are following him, but we aren't negotiating with anyone. Many players disappear with time, others grow. Gelson Martins has potential to be a great player and we will see how he evolves."

Gelson, who can operate on both flanks, has been included in the Portugal squad for this month's 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Faroe Islands.