Barcelona Enter Race To Sign Antoine Griezmann
Reuters / Juan Medina
According to reports in the Spanish outlet Don Balon, Barcelona have set their sights on Antoine Griezmann, and could make a shock move for the French striker this summer.
There is no denying that Griezmann has been the hottest viable property in the footballing world for some time. He has been linked with Manchester United ever since his exploits in Euro 2016, and reports earlier suggested that Jose Mourinho has already reached an agreement with the Frenchman’s representatives, and the Frenchman is set to be handed the N0.7 Jersey when he signs.
However, as per the latest reports in Spain on Monday, the Catalan giants have jumped ahead of Manchester United in this transfer race, and are looking to sign the striker this summer to ease the burdens of Messi, Neymar, and Suarez.
Barcelona spent £27m to sign Paco Alcacer from Valencia last summer, but the Spaniard has endured a frustrating campaign at Nou Camp, scoring just seven goals in all competitions. As a result, he looks set to leave the club, with Barca keen on signing a world-class center-forward, and Griezmann fits that bill perfectly.
The France international joined Atletico Madrid in 2014, and after early struggles which saw him in and out of Simeone’s starting eleven, he has settled into a first team role and has become the catalyst for Los Colchoneros’ attack.
Griezmann has scored 82 goals in just three seasons at Vicente Calderon, and considering his goal-scoring exploits, Barcelona are reportedly looking at him as the long-term replacement for Lionel Messi, who turns 30 this summer.
If the Catalan giants are to pull off this headline transfer in the summer, they will have to activate the £89 million release clause in Griezmann’s contract with Atletico Madrid. The Rojiblancos were demanding nearly £100m for him last year, until Diego Simeone confirmed that the striker had a release clause.
Written by Pragadeesh Shanmugam 