According to a recent report by the Daily Mirror, La Liga giants Barcelona are said to be prepared to offer the services of up to nine players to various Premier League clubs this season, including French World Cup winning attacker Antoine Griezmann.
The report suggests that the Blaugrana are desperate to generate some funds for the summer after the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly hit them quite hard financially, and that they are willing to listen to offers for every player, with the obvious exception of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
The report suggests that transfer listing Griezmann could trigger interest from Premier League giants Manchester United – a club that had previously expressed desire to acquire the Frenchman and bring him to Old Trafford, before he went on to join Barcelona. Not just that, it is claimed that England’s biggest teams have all been informed of the immediate availability of up to nine players. Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele, Samuel Umtiti, Nelson Semedo, Sergi Roberto, Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal and Philippe Coutinho form the nine players who are up for sale.
How Has Griezmann Done Since The Switch To Barcelona
The French attacker arrived at the Nou Camp from Atletico Madrid with a monstrous reputation already weighing him down. Factor in the sheer amount of expectations that were placed on his shoulders by the fans, and it suddenly becomes clear why Griezmann’s displays as a Barcelona player have been sub-standard. The former Atletico Madrid man was expected to reel in the next generation of the Barcelona front-line but instead has struggled to have any sort of meaningful impact.
While his 26 fixtures in La Liga, which resulted in eight goals and four assists might not look too bad on paper, the fact that Griezmann has been rated as one of the best players in the world over recent seasons does seem to be a contradiction. The Frenchman’s versatility though, has been a blessing in disguise, and as underwhelming as his performance levels have been, it has provided Setien the flexibility he needed to efficiently mix things around in attack.
Why Barcelona Mustn’t Sell Griezmann This Summer?
The former Atletico Madrid striker is one of the deadliest finishers in the world on his day, but that’s not something the Barcelona fans have got an opportunity to see yet. The 29-year-old tends to time his runs into space superbly, while he also boasts a keen eye for a threaded pass. The Frenchman offers excellent movement in the final third of the pitch, while his ability to draw defenders away by making dummy runs would be a massive asset to the rest of the Barcelona attackers in the years to come.
One thing that can be said for sure is that the Camp Nou is yet to see the best of Antoine Griezmann. The Frenchman’s exploits with Atletico Madrid over the last many seasons are the stuff of La Liga legend now, while his performance during France’s World Cup win a couple of years ago was commendable too. Considering the sheer amount of money that the Catalan side spent to acquire his services, it would be ridiculous for Barca to sell just a season after signing him.
