Villarreal striker Georges Mikautadze has been linked with a move away from the Spanish side and feels he is ‘ready to go to a big club’.

The 26-year-old has had an interesting career path so far, breaking through at French side Metz before earning a move to Ajax which did not make out and he returned to his first professional club.

The Georgia international would then move to Lyon in 2024 and switched again the following year as he joined Villarreal.

He scored 15 goals in all competitions last season and has netted five so far in this campaign, including the opener in the 4-3 defeat at Liverpool in the Champions League last month.

Both Tottenham and Newcastle have been credited with interest in Mikautadze before, while Barcelona are also thought to like the forward.

He is not shy in admitting that he fancies a step up and feels ready to do just that.

‘I think I’m ready to go to a big club,’ Mikautade told L’Equipe. ‘I have everything I need and I try to show it every time. I just maybe need a little more time.’

Specifically responding to Barcelona’s interest in him, he said: ‘Yes, it’s flattering and it motivates me even more. It also means that the work is being done well.

‘As a child, ever since the Xavi-Iniesta-Busquets era and the MSN [Messi-Suarez-Neymar] trio, I’ve been a Barca supporter. But I hadn’t really thought about it.’

Ask Metro

Mikautadze will hope to show off his talents against the best team in Europe on Tuesday night when Villarreal take on Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG sit top of the group stage table with three wins from three games, looking very good in their bid to make it three Champions League titles on the spin.

Luis Enrique, the man who has led PSG to double European glory, has been philosophical on his achievements ahead of this encounter.

‘We have all won, we have all lost,’ he said. ‘I have been through countless situations where I was considered a “fraud” by a lot of people, and that fraud has kept evolving and improving, because that is the mindset a coach must have.

‘And now, everyone thinks I’m “the chosen one” or I don’t know what. And this is all a lie, all a lie.

‘The important thing is to follow your path. And along the path, the beautiful thing is that there are potholes, curves, and climbs.

‘Then the downhills also appear, which are very rewarding, but in the end, you appreciate the bad moments more. And if this is a “bad moment” for Villarreal, quote-unquote, I am sure they will get many positive things out of it.’