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Following Antoine Griezmann’s announcement that he would be departing Atletico Madrid in the summer, it came as no surprise when the speculation tabloids started spinning with rumours of his next destination.
Barcelona are understandably in front of the queue for the 28-year-old’s signature, having earlier seen a bid for him rebuffed by the player last summer with the Frenchman instead choosing to sign a long-term deal with the Colchoneros.
It is understood that Griezmann would not come cheap, with reports indicating that he has a release clause in his contract of €125m and for any deal to be made, this release clause would have to be triggered.
However, the former Real Sociedad man would potentially be worth every penny expended on him and Barcelona must go all out in a bid to get him.
#4 He is a bonafide world class player
Barcelona is undoubtedly one of the biggest clubs in the world, boasting an illustrious history which only a handful of clubs can match.
Some of the greatest players of all time have donned the colours of Barcelona and fans of the Blaugrana are no strangers to having a plethora of legitimate and proven superstars take to the Nou Camp pitch.
The current Barcelona squad is no different, with players like Lionel Messi, Arturo Vidal, Marc Andre ter Stegen, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez to name a few, having the right to genuinely lay claim to being among the very best in their respective positions; sharing a dressing room with such great players could be an intimidating prospect for an unproven player.
However, Griezmann would have no such problems, as he is a world class player in his own right and has made it to the podium for the Ballon d’Or award.
The Atletico Madrid talisman is among the most highly rated forwards in the world at the moment and as such would not feel out of place among players who are on the same level with him, hence the chances of success at the Nou Camp are much higher than it would have been had he not been a proven superstar.
#3 He is a prime goalscorer
Ever since his transfer from Real Sociedad to Atletico in 2014, Antoine Griezmann has maintained the rather impressive record of scoring at least 20 goals in all competitions in each of his five seasons at the Vicente Calderon/Wanda Metropolitano.
His highest tally came in the 2015/2016 season when he scored 32 goals from 54 matches in all competitions to help the capital club make it to the final of the Champions League and this form was enough to see him named as the third best player in the world that year.
In total, his spell at Atletico Madrid saw him score 133 goals from 257 matches in all competitions which came at a rather impressive rate of over a goal every two matches and his tally is made the more impressive when you consider that Diego Simeone’s side is more focused on defensive solidity than attacking impetus.
Given the improvement in quality of players and expansive football at Barcelona, it can only be expected that Griezmann would post better numbers at Nou Camp.
#2 He has a high work rate
Antoine Griezmann was the perfect embodiment of Diego Simeone's ethos at Atletico Madrid, possessing grit, dedication and a tireless never-give-up attitude.
This helped immensely, given that forwards at Atletico rarely saw much of the ball and Griezmann always stayed focused long enough to make the most of the few chances that came his way.
The French international is a complete forward, who is more than willing to drop back and help out with defending, while his all-round attacking play is also top-notch.
He is also adept at holding up play and playing his teammates in and has created a total of 26 La Liga goals for his teammates over the course of the last three seasons.
Given that Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are more focused on putting the ball in the back of the net and rarely drop back to help with defending, Antoine Griezmann would come in handy as a perfect foil in attack to drop back to do the dirty work when
#1 He is no stranger to performing on the biggest stages
Barcelona’s status as one of the biggest clubs in the world means that the pressure to deliver on the biggest stages is an ever-present at the club, with the players expected to not just win all matches played, but to win convincingly and with style.
Not many players can cope with the pressure associated with the Blaugrana, as the abrupt step up in expectation from their previous clubs could see most of them choke under the pressure, but this would not be a problem for Antoine Griezmann, as he is already used to playing on the biggest stages.
With Atletico, he regularly contested for major trophies, making it to the final of the Champions League, while also playing and winning the Europa League final with the Colchoneros.
On the international scene, the 28-year-old has also played (and scored) in the biggest game in football – winning the World Cup with France, and also contested the final of EURO 2016 on home soil where he finished as runner up to Portugal.
Given the levels he has performed at, he would be able to cope with the expectation level at Barcelona and as such, chances are higher that he would succeed at the club.
