Barcelona have been heavily linked with a move for Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann for months, but reports claim Pep Guardiola could ruin their plan.
With the likes of Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele already at Ernesto Valverde’s disposal, it’s debatable as to whether the Catalan giants need another player in the attacking third.
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However, as noted by Diario Gol, and re-reported by The Express, they have been paired with an interest in Griezmann who will be available for €100m this summer, as per the release clause in his contract.
The problem though for Barca is that the report adds that should Guardiola fail to land Tottenham striker Harry Kane this summer, he will instead focus his attention on taking Griezmann to the Etihad Stadium, with Sergio Aguero moving in the opposite direction as part of the deal.
That would arguably be quite an appealing offer from an Atleti perspective, as it would allow them to welcome back a former hero in Aguero while having an immediate replacement for Griezmann in the line-up.
In turn, it may well be a concern for Barcelona as it could essentially come down to which option the French international prefers at the end of the season.
A similar argument could be made over City’s need for another forward though, as with Aguero scoring 30 goals in 37 games so far this season, coupled with the likes of Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, David Silva and others, it’s questionable as to where Griezmann would fit in.
Guardiola’s side remain on course for a treble this season with the world-class options already available to him, and so it’s debatable as to whether making such a big change would be a sensible move, albeit Griezmann offers a longer-term option to Aguero given he’s still only 26.
Given the quality that he possesses though, it’s no surprise that he’s being linked with the top clubs around Europe, and whether Valverde and Guardiola intend on rotating across various fronts or fitting all of their attacking stars into the line-up somehow, Griezmann would undoubtedly make them both better sides.