Ernesto Valverde: 'Aritz Aduriz is a gem'

Athletic Bilbao boss Ernesto Valverde has joked that he hopes Barcelona do not make a move to sign his veteran forward Aritz Aduriz.

The 34-year-old took his season total to 20 goals at the weekend when he hit a treble in Bilbao's 3-0 win at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga.

Aduriz also hit 18 goals in 31 league appearances last season, and Valverde has paid tribute to his "gem" of a forward.

"I hope Barcelona don't sign Aduriz! He's the culmination of our game or what we try," Valverde told reporters.

"We're very lucky to have him, but there's a problem, which is that he gets better with each passing year. He's very confident in his ability, very efficient and, for us, he's a gem."

Aduriz has netted 105 times in 244 appearances for Bilbao since making the move to the Basque club from Valencia in 2012.