According to reports in A Bola, Sporting Lisbon have opened talks with Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu over a move to the Portuguese capital this summer. Boss Jorge Jesus is anxious to add reinforcements to his squad to try to compete with city rivals Benfica who have now won five league championships in a row. The journal however, claims that the Lisbon side face strong competition from other clubs with Ligue 1 side Marseille also understood to be interested.
 

The 33-year-old is now surplus to requirements at the Camp Nou as new boss Ernesto Valverde looks to bring in new blood ahead of the new season. With a move for Athletic Bilbao star Aymeric Laporte believed to be imminent, Mathieu’s time at the club is now at an end.
 

Sporting finished the season a whopping 12 points adrift of Benfica and Jesus is under pressure to reduce that gap next term.