Despite optimism early on in negotiations, Barcelona no longer considers a swap involving Antoine Griezmann and Saúl Ñíguez a viable option. As a result, talks surrounding a possible deal are all but dead.
According to Sport, citing a report from Ara, the Catalan side were the ones who put a stop to the negotiations as they were not content with the parameters of a potential deal.
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Negotiations between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have come to a halt
The two sides were apparently far apart on the valuation of a swap. Barca values Griezmann higher than Saúl and was not going to get equal value back in the transaction.
Even when things appeared to be going well, what separated Barcelona and Atletico Madrid was money. To be comfortable with a swap in the first place, the Catalans wanted not only Saúl but a fee back as well.
The demand for a fee proved to be a sticking point and is perhaps one of the reasons an end was put on discussions.
Both players were reportedly interested in a move and would have given their okay if an agreement was reached.
Atletico Madrid held the cards as the Blaugrana was the team who needed to offload Griezmann. The club’s wage bill needed to be lowered and moving Griezmann would have provided substantial relief.
Griezmann’s future is very much still up in the air and given how public these rumors became, there may be no way back now and he might demand a move. He’s due back for preseason training this week following his stint with France in Euro 2020.