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What’s the rumour?
According to reports from Spanish outlet Marca, Antoine Griezmann has edged closer to a move to Barcelona. The Frenchman has been a transfer target for Barcelona for quite a while now and if the rumours are true, he and his wife have started looking for houses in the city.
In case you didn't know:
Griezmann is one of those players who can be included in the topmost bracket of superstars. He is at the prime of his career, and has been at the heart of everything good at Atletico Madrid.
He joined the Madrid club from Real Sociedad in July 2014 for €30 million and hasn't looked back since. In 195 games for the club, he has scored 104 times. He finished third in the 2016 Ballon D'or, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He also helped France reach the finals of the EURO 2016.
He is one of the most coveted players in Europe and is capable of the extraordinary.
The heart of the matter:
When Barcelona sold Neymar to PSG in the summer of 2017, there were question marks about how that big a void will be filled. Many people even wrote off Barcelona's title credentials.
All those talks have been squashed by Barcelona this year, as they haven't suffered a defeat all season. They are 8 points ahead of second placed Atletico in La Liga, and are into the finals of the Copa Del Rey. They are also likely to qualify for the Quarter Finals of the Champions league as well.
They bought in Ousmane Dembele form Dortmund in the summer but he has not been able to find his feet in Spain. They also bought Coutinho in the January transfer window for a reported £150 million. Unfazed by all this, there has been constant speculation about Griezmann's possible move to The Blaugrana.
The player was extremely close to a move to Manchester United in the summer but a transfer ban for Atletico saw them unwilling to part with their best player. United's interest dropped as the season progressed and now Barcelona are in the driving seat for his signature. The player and his wife are hunting for houses to stay in Barcelona if the reports are true.
Rumour rating/probability - 9/10
Many credible sources have linked the player with a move to Barcelona and Marca is a reliable source when it comes to news from Spain. A move may be on the cards.
Video: The best of Griezmann this season
Author’s take
The player is valued at £90.00 million and has a contract till 2022. Atletico may demand more for Griezmann but Barcelona will be ready to pay whatever it takes to bring him in, and rightly so. He will undoubtedly take them to the next level and the consequences may be bad for Atletico if they cannot find a decent enough replacement for him.
