Barcelona Transfer News: Latest on Antoine Griezmann, Top Rumours

Antoine Griezmann has told Barcelona he will sign for the club, according to reports from Spain. Yet the France international would want a guarantee he will succeed Lionel Messi as the Blaugrana's attacking talisman.Spanish source Diario Gol (h/t Jack Otway of the Daily Express) has revealed Griezmann wants to join Barca "but only on his terms." Those terms include supplanting Messi as the main man in Barcelona's forward line.Diario Gol also revealed how Barca manager "Ernesto Valverde is hellbent on making Griezmann the focal point of his attack next season."Otway noted how Griezmann may not be able to justify his demands and Valverde's plans: "With three goals so far, the forward's stock has dropped dramatically."Even so, Barca already have a strategy in place to eventually make a deal for Griezmann happen, per the report: "Barcelona have made a habit of signing French players in recent yearsshown by the arrivals of Samuel Umtiti, Ousmane Dembele and Lucas Digne.This is supposedly to help get a move for Griezmann done, with the 26-year-old admired by club chiefs."Griezmann may be struggling for goals this season, but he is still a forward gifted enough to make the grade at any of Europe's top clubs. The 26-year-old combines intelligence with pace, timing and composure.Few attackers, if any, can match Griezmann's flair for runs off the ball. The Frenchman's movement puts him into a scoring position more often than not.When he gets into those positions, Griezmann can finish well in a variety of ways. He is adept with either foot and surprisingly effective in the air.The way Griezmann finds and exploits space in the final third is ideal for Barca's quick, intuitive and possession-based style of play. So it makes sense the Camp Nou club has been tracking the former Real Sociedad attacker, per Albert Gracia of Sport.Gracia pointed out how Barcelona considered Griezmann an option to replace Neymar when the Brazil international left for Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain this summer. The Blaugrana also think Griezmann's 100 million release clause is a fee they can justify paying.Griezmann is struggling this season, with manager Diego Simeone chiding his squad for a lack of goals, per Alec Shilton of The Sun. Atleti's star forward has found himself substituted more than once during La Liga matches, but right-back Juanfran has called on the frustrated attacker to remain calm, per Jorge Garcia ofAS(h/t ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan).Barca are likely keen on Griezmann, but his demand to replace Messi as the player the club's forward line is built around is fanciful, to say the least. Griezmann can play wide and is often most effective when ghosting off the left, a position more akin to a supporting role for Messi than one set to replace him.If Griezman would replace anybody in Valverde's squad, it might be Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan is Barca's No. 9, but like Griezmann, he has struggled for goals this season, netting just three times in La Liga, per WhoScored.com.Suarez has also failed to find the net in the UEFA Champions League and struggled mightily during the recent 0-0 draw with Olympiakos, per OptaJose:He may be struggling now, but Suarez is a good bet to get back on form in front of goal. The 30-year-old is a varied finisher who has a terrific instinct for seizing chances.Ideally, Griezmann will eventually arrive as Neymar's long overdue replacement and partner Suarez and Messi. Once Dembele returns from injury, Griezmann's arrival would restore the kind of strength, depth and quality in attack Barca boasted when the club last won the Champions League in 2015.
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