Barcelona : Antoine Griezmann earmarked as successor to Luis Suárez

‘El Pistolero’ has begun to misfire, and that is not a good omen for the club’s future

BARCELONA, SPAIN – OCTOBER 21: Luis Suarez of Barcelona reacts during the La Liga match between Barcelona and Malaga at Camp Nou on October 21, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by fotopress/Getty Images) /

Ever since he signed in 2014, Luis Suárez has maintained one thing, that is consistency. He has flitted from roles of a poacher to that of a creator, but he has always been consistently good. But it has not been the same this season.

Suárez has scored 3 goals and has provided 2 assists in 9 appearances this season. That return is significantly poor for a player of his calibre. Even if we consider his fitness problems, he has struggled to cope up with the pressure like he used to.

Playing for a club like Barcelona, there is a very thin margin of error. A rough patch, and you can be in for a spell on the bench. For Suárez, that is unlikely to happen considering his importance in the first-team.

But the Uruguayan’s poor form has led the club to think long-term. Luis Suárez has a maximum of 2 seasons left in him before he cannot compete at this level anymore. He needs a successor as effective, and skillful as he is, and that player is certainly not Paco Alcácer.

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Barcelona are considering moving for Atlético Madrid’s star forward Antoine Griezmann. The Frenchman is one of the best players in the world, and is certainly deserving of the spot of Luis Suárez’s successor.

Griezmann has scored 62 goals and has created 131 chances in 118 appearances for Los Rojiblancos over the course of 3 seasons. He has also made his mark on the international scene, winning the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament at Euro 2016.

While Griezmann is similar to Suárez vis-à-vis finishing and discipline, he is superior in dribbling and long shots. On the other hand, ‘El Pistolero’ is better in terms of finding key passes and holding up the ball.

But when it comes to the future, Antoine Griezmann has a very bright one. But he will not be easy to sign. Manchester United have been following him for a long time, and despite signing Romelu Lukaku, may be tempted to go in for him.

Next: Paco Alcácer opens up account for the season

Griezmann contract’s currently has a release clause of €200 million. But it will decrease to €100 million next summer, according to the terms of the deal he signed in June. That is an acceptable figure for a player like him, considering the inflation in today’s market. Barcelona may be targeting him next summer.