As FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta stares in the face of what is a gigantic wage bill, he must be prepared to make some tough decisions. Players need to be offloaded in order to comply with La Liga’s new salary cap.
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Some of the big earners at the club are going to be shipped off, as Laporta continues to make room for Lionel Messi‘s new contract. One of the most likely candidates for a departure is none other than Antoine Griezmann. The World Cup winner is garnering a lot of interest, being one of the elite attacking players. But Barcelona might already be ruling out one destination.
Barcelona hesitant to let Griezmann go to Atletico Madrid
One of the biggest teams interested in Antoine Griezmann is none other than Atletico Madrid. The reigning La Liga champs sold Griezmann to Barcelona in 2019, after 5 years with the club. However, Barcelona isn’t so keen on the move.
According to SPORT, Both Griezmann and Atletico are willing to reunite. However, Madrid cannot afford his wage demands and has therefore offered players in any potential deal. Therein lies the issue – Barcelona aren’t interested in player Atleti can offer, and they don’t want to send Griezmann to a rival as he would only improve their chances for the title next season.
Clearly, Barca is trying to learn from its mistake from last season. They sold Luis Suarez to Atletico Madrid in the off-season, only for him to become one of the key players in their title run.
According to the report, Laporta does have options when it comes to Griezmann, as several teams are interested in him. However, it’ll ultimately be the player’s choice as to where he wants to go. Given his enormous wages and the urgency of the financial situation, Laporta and Barca may have little choice in the matter.
For Griezmann, a return to Atletico is his most desired option if the club cannot retain him. The Frenchman has struggled to find success in Blaugrana colors and could look to return to the team where he found his best form. But he may have to settle for a new adventure if Laporta’s board stick to their guns in this matter.