Jeremy Mathieu will not feature for Valencia in tonight's pre-season friendly against Nuremberg as speculation surrounding the centre-back's future continues to grow.

The Frenchman has been the subject of interest from Barcelona this summer, with the Catalan outfit identifying the experienced player as their main defensive target.

Thus far, Barca have been frustrated in their attempts to agree a price with Los Che.

However, Mathieu's exclusion from tonight's match has fuelled rumours that the two teams are close to agreeing a deal.

Mathieu has a release clause in the region of £20m.