Barcelona Agree Mathieu Deal

Barcelona have reached an agreement with Valencia over the signing of centre-back Jeremy Mathieu and are set to announce the deal on Tuesday. The two clubs have been locked in negotiations for several weeks, with the Catalans eventually confirming their interest in the player after lodging an opening bid on July 16. That offer was rejected as Valencia demanded Barca matched the player's release clause, which stands at �20 million, before the player pleaded with his current employers to sanction a move to Camp Nou.