Barcelona finalizes the future of Antoine Griezmann amid exit rumors.
Barcelona have officially made up their mind about Antoine Griezmann‘s future amid transfer rumors hinting on his exit this transfer window.
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Griezmann’s future at Camp Nou is reportedly being cemented after the club officials decided to place him on the non-transferable list alongside Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Lionel Messi.
When one looks at the Frenchman’s numbers this season, many would consider his debut season as an average performance with only the remaining Champions League fixtures available for him to improve his stats.
Many blame the club’s decision of playing him away from his usual striker role as the reason for his failures but for 120 million euros, Griezmann is expected to be a player capable of playing wherever the club needs him to perform.
The board were aware that signing the World Cup winner was not to replace aging Luis Suarez but to give them a greater chance of securing the European title.
His performance this season, however, has been far below what was expected of a player of his caliber. The only undisputed advantage of the former Atletico Madrid forward is his defensive contributions that have often saved the squad from conceding a goal.
But as a winger for Barca, the club needs him to be a dribbler who can manage one-on-ones against the world’s best defenders, which he simply isn’t. Initially, the club were hoping to use Ousmane Dembele for this purpose, but his season-long injury forced his fellow Frenchman to take up this role.
Ansu Fati, at 17 years of age, has been given the opportunity to take over Griezmann and Dembele’s role, and the teenager surprised everyone after being a major success in his debut season at such a young age.
Their latest signing of Francisco Trincao has been to address their lack of a technician in that position, which raised many questions regarding Antoine’s future, especially after his latest quarrel with his coaches, Quique Setien and Eder Sarabia. Mundo Deportivo, however, reports that despite this the Barca board have decided to consider him non-transferable with his contract existing until 2024.
On top of that, regardless of his performance in the remaining Champions League matches, Barca will not consider selling the 29-year-old but it is understood that if a lucrative offer arrives, the Catalans could be persuaded to consider a transfer.
Should Griezmann continue at Camp Nou?