Lionel Messi Talks 'Great' Antoine Griezmann Amid Barcelona Transfer Rumours
June 7, 2018
Barcelona's Lionel Messi has praised Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann, saying he's a great player amid continued speculation the latter may be on his way to Catalonia.
Griezmann has been linked with a move to Barcelona throughout much of the year after another memorable campaign in the Spanish capital.
Messi was asked about the speculation and admitted the world's best footballers will always be welcome at Barcelona; he also said he believes he would link up well with the France international on the field, per Mundo Deportivo (h/t Goal).
"It is easy to get along with great players, and Griezmann is one of the best," Messi said. "He is going through an exceptional time in his career. The coach will then look at how he fits everyone in, but he is obviously a great player and we would click together."
ABC recently reported that Griezmann was ready to stay at the Wanda Metropolitano despite Barcelona's interest (h/t Jorge Garcia of AS).
According to Javier Giraldo of Sport, Barcelona want a decision from the player regarding his future soon, as his €100 million (£88 million) release clause doubles on July 1. As Giraldo noted, Griezmann previously said he will make a choice before the FIFA World Cup, which begins on June 14.
As we can see here, Messi is not the only Barcelona star who has made it clear he would like Griezmann to make the move to Camp Nou:
Last season, manager Ernesto Valverde rarely fielded Messi, Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez in same side. Adding another expensive forward into the mix could complicate matters further and leave at least one of that quintet unhappy about missing out.
The pursuit of Griezmann may well be with the future in mind, though; the Atletico man is 27, whereas Suarez and Messi will both be 31 by the time next season starts.
Griezmann would be able to fill a number of different roles for Barcelona, as he's operated at the point of the attack, as a support striker and occasionally in advanced wide positions for Atletico. As WhoScored.com demonstrated, he's a potent force in front of goal:
It appears a decision has yet to be made by Griezmann, and with the World Cup coming up, this may simmer for a while. But if Messi is keen on a certain player coming in at Barcelona, you sense the club will push hard to make it happen.