Barcelona’s Ultimatum if Antoine Griezmann refuses to leave

Barcelona are in financial turmoil yet they keep on bringing new players to the team. The only way to sustain their budget and finances is by letting go of some of their top earners such as Antoine Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho, Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti, and many more. It’s either that or they will have to take a major wage cut, which most players outright refuse.

More from Everything Barca

• FC Barcelona tracking Belgian Wonderkid
• FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
• Barça boss Xavi to get contract extension
• FC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielder
• Barcelona interested in €30 million wonderkid

However, although most of the aforementioned players have accepted that they might be moving to another club before the beginning of next season, Griezmann is unwilling to leave the club unless the club of his choice offers him a contract that he wants.

According to several reports, Barcelona cannot afford to keep the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner any longer, and they are actively looking for a new club for the player. Given the player’s profile and playing abilities, selling him should not have been a very tough task; however, the Catalans are falling short on every deal. The player wants to move back to his former team, Atletico Madrid and the Madrid side would be glad to have him back.

A swap deal between the two clubs was underway, with Griezmann going towards Madrid while Saul Niguez would be coming towards Catalunya. The deal seemed good for both sides on paper however, the Catalans wanted some extra money on top of the transfer deal, and Atletico were not willing to comply. The two Spanish giants even tried to negotiate a loan deal but Atleti would only sign him if he accepts a wage cut and Griezmann wanted Barca to pay the rest of the amount, thus the deal ultimately fell out.

His next location could be Manchester City with the Sky Blues looking to sign a new striker. He is currently Pep Guardiola’s second choice however, if City are unable to sign Harry Kane, he could very well be on his way to England.

Barcelona really need to sell or loan Antoine Griezmann

The City deal is of course hypothetical at this point, and no official bid has been made. No other teams are looking to sign Griezmann at the moment, and Barcelona might just get stuck with the high-earning player. The Blaugranas do not have enough funds to pay his wages, and thus the only other way to keep Griezmann would be to lower everyone else’s wages. This is not a suitable solution, as the French player is not an important part of the squad, and with Memphis Depay and Kun Aguero already signed, the Frenchman could be stuck on the bench for the next season.

Should Barca sell or keep Antoine Griezmann?