As per a report from Spanish outlet Don Balon this afternoon, Spanish giants Barcelona are prepared to offer up both players and cash as part of a summer bid for Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann.
Saga
Manchester United’s chase of French forward Griezmann was one of the talking points of the early weeks of last summer’s transfer window, with Jose Mourinho having identified the 26-year-old as an ideal addition to his attacking ranks at Old Trafford.
However, any potential move was put on hold when Griezmann himself confirmed that he would not leave Atletico in the midst of their transfer ban, with the Red Devils having since opted to bring in Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez instead as a result.
Jose Mourinho recently confirmed that United will not be targeting attacking reinforcements this summer, with the Manchester giants set to focus their attentions on midfield and defensive additions.
Release clause
This has led to mounting reports that Barcelona are now viewed as the clear leading contenders for Griezmann’s signature, with the Blaugrana having long been touted as a potential destination for the French international.
Griezmann’s 200 million Euro Atletico release clause is reportedly set to drop to 100 million Euro at the end of this season, making a potential deal for any and all suitors markedly more realistic.
However, with Barca having splashed out a combined fee that could rise to 300 million Euro on Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho over the last two transfer windows, the La Liga leaders are wary of Financial Fair Play constraints, and will reportedly attempt to drive Griezmann’s price-tag down further with the offer of several players.
Don Balon’s report this afternoon names the likes of Andre Gomes, Gerard Deulofeu and even Dembele (though this looks unlikely for obvious reasons) as potential makeweights in the Catalan outfit’s move for Griezmann.
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