Antoine Griezmann IS for sale and Barcelona are ‘open to all offers’, says club president Joan Laporta, who wants to find ‘financial equilibrium’ at cash-strapped club… but Frenchman will ‘only rejoin Atletico Madrid’ if he were to leave this summer
- Barcelona chief Joan Laporta says Antoine Griezmann is for sale this summer
- Laporta revealed the club would be ‘open to all offers’ for the French forward
- Barca are desperate to reduce their mammoth wage bill in order to re-sign Messi
- Griezmann has been linked with Juventus but he will only leave to rejoin Atletico
- A swap deal with Saul has been discussed but talks have fallen flat recently
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has made it clear that the club are ‘open to all offers’ for Antoine Griezmann this summer.
The Catalan giants are in the grips of a financial crisis and are struggling to clear a number of players off the books to ensure they can register signings and re-sign Lionel Messi to a new contract.
Griezmann will be one of the main players they are looking to offload this summer, considering how the Frenchman earns £300,000 per week at the Nou Camp.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta (right) says Antoine Griezmann (left) is for sale this summer
And while Laporta insists Griezmann is ‘loved’ at the club, he admits that moving him on in order to reduce their mammoth wage bill is a priority in the coming months.
‘Griezmann is a player that has a market, with clubs interested, and we are building the squad searching for a financial equilibrium,’ Laporta said, as cited by Mundo Deportivo.
‘With Antoine, we don’t have any problem, we love him. But if the market moves, we are open to all offers because we are in a delicate moment where we have to do balance financial fair play and because of that, we should speak with all the players so that it does not hurt them, or (if it does) for the least time possible.
‘We are making these balances and are open to all the options that the market can give us, but we don’t want to harm the team competitively.’
Laporta says Barca would be ‘open to all offers’ as they look to reduce their mammoth wage bill
Griezmann, who featured for France at Euro 2020 this summer, is now back in training with Barca, and has since been linked with moves to Juventus and former club Atletico Madrid.
Reports in France have suggested that Barcelona are hoping to swap Griezmann for Paulo Dybala, who has been linked away from Turin in recent months.
The 27-year-old – who has just 12 months remaining on his deal – had a mixed season in Serie A last term as the club surrendered their stranglehold over the Scudetto, scoring five times and laying on three assists.
However, Spanish news outlet Cuatro have claimed that Griezmann is only considering a sensational reunion with Diego Simeone at Atletico.
Reports in Spain suggest Griezmann will only rejoin Atletico Madrid if he were to leave
A swap deal with Saul Niguez has been discussed but talks have stalled recently
Griezmann controversially left Atletico in 2018 for £107million but could be welcomed back at the Wanda Metropolitano.
The 30-year-old has often been criticised during his spell in Barcelona, having failed to replicate his sparkling form from his Atletico days.
However, despite media scrutiny he still managed 20 goals in all competitions last season – taking his club total to 35 strikes across two campaigns at the Nou Camp.
Another swap deal involving Griezmann and Saul Niguez has been put forward in recent weeks but talks have since stalled somewhat.
Griezmann has often faced scrutiny over his performances since his £107m move in 2019
However, Atletico president Enrique Cerezo has since refused to rule out a deal for Griezmann this summer, insisting ‘everything is possible’.
‘I have no idea, they haven’t told me anything, I don’t know anything. I do not know how the negotiations are, not even if there are, but there is little left for you to know what will happen.
‘In the world of football everything is possible but in the case of Griezmann I have no idea, nor have I asked’.
