Barcelona deny Griezmann-Dybala swap deal
It is back to the drawing board for Barcelona in their efforts to offload French forward Antoine Griezmann.
A proposed deal with Atletico Madrid that would have seen Griezmann go in exchange for Saúl Ñíguez is now off the table. However, that hasn’t stopped rumors about Griezmann’s exit.
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Another day, another rumor linking Barcelona with a swap deal
The latest rumor comes out of France as Mundo Deportivo picked up a report from L’Equipe where they claim the Catalans initiated contacts with Juventus over a possible swap with Paulo Dybala heading to the Camp Nou.
While both players have similar characteristics, this deal runs into the same issue as the one with Atletico Madrid. The fact of the matter is Barça believe Griezmann has a higher value than Dybala and thus would require a transfer fee to make a deal work. Unless the other party is an English Premier League club, most other sides will be hesitant to spend large amounts given the effects of the pandemic.
Regardless, Barcelona has already come out and denied any such contacts with Juventus took place. This is now the third time in almost as many days where Barça has been linked with a swap deal and the second one with Juventus.
Both Juventus and Barcelona sources are now denying any contact for a potential swap deal between Antoine Griezmann and Paulo Dybala. 🔴 #FCB #Juve
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 20, 2021
Juventus are waiting for Dybala agent to arrive in Italy in the next weeks to re-open talks on his new contract. 🇦🇷
From their perspective, despite negotiations with Atletico Madrid falling through, they are hopeful that an English team may swoop in for Griezmann. According to Sport, they believe clubs like Manchester United or Chelsea could be interested.
A swap deal with any side is going to be difficult given Barça also want €20 million in the exchange. Furthermore, they are not sitting in a position of power in negotiations.
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Other teams know the financial difficulties Joan Laporta and his new board find themselves in. To make a deal happen, they may need to lower their pretensions or they’re going to be “stuck” with Griezmann come next season.