French Superstar Ready To Take A Pay-cut: Why Barcelona Should Pounce On The Opportunity

Antoine Griezmann announced his departure from Atletico Madrid last month after a glorious five year period with the club. The Frenchman is most likely to join league rivals Barcelona but recent speculation linking him to PSG seems to have delayed the move. But another report states that not everyone at Nou Camp is on board with the idea of signing the Les Blues forward which has forced him to consider taking a pay cut in order to push through the transfer.

The Atletico Madrid forward was on the brink of joining Lionel Messi and co. last year also but made a U-turn at the eleventh hour deciding to stay at Wanda Metropolitano. He managed 21 goals and 10 assists in 48 appearances across all competitions finishing the season trophyless.

Why Barcelona should pounce

Griezmann is one of the most versatile attackers in Europe considering the level that he plays at. The Frenchman predominantly features as a centre-forward but possesses the ability to slot in the number 10 role and can even switch to the flanks if the need arises.

The 28-year-old excels at every aspect of the play from his goal scoring to his ability to create chances for his teammates. He managed 1.9 key passes and 3 shots per game last campaign which highlights his effectiveness on the pitch over the course of 90 minutes.

Apart from his offensive prowess, the France International also contributes heavily in the defensive phase of the play constantly dropping deep to recover balls and initiate an attack, sometimes even from his own half. This could work in favour of the Spanish giants seeing Luis Suarez’ age gradually catching up with him and Lionel Messi’s contribution being scarce in the defensive phase of the game.

His flexibility and work ethic could be a boon for Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde who often sets his team up to play a pragmatic style of football.  The 28-year-old will also provide the Catalan club with numerous tactical options up front and also pose as a substantial headache for opposition defences especially in Europe where the threat of Messi has been repeatedly nullified in the last four years.

After back to back humiliations in the Champions League, Valverde must find the right balance in his starting XI and Griezmann could prove to be the key difference for the Azulgrana at the end of the day.

Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored