Barcelona are looking to trim their wage bill this summer and have reportedly offered France forward Antoine Griezmann to Chelsea.
The Blaugrana are in a precarious financial situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have reportedly exceeded their wage bill by over €200 million, and have to offload several players.
The club have brought in the likes of Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia, Emerson Royal and Memphis Depay this summer, but will not be able to register them with La Liga until their financial situation is resolved.
They are also looking to free up some funds in order to tie down Lionel Messi to a new contract, and Griezmann could be among the first to depart as per Daily Star. The Frenchman currently earns around £294,000-a-week.
Will Antoine Griezmann make Chelsea title contenders?
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is on the lookout for a new striker this summer. The Blues lacked cutting edge in front of goal last campaign, with big-money signing Timo Werner, Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham all struggling to find the net on a regular basis.
Antoine Griezmann will be offered to Chelsea as part of Barcelona’s desperate attempts to re-sign Lionel Messi.
– @pbsportswriter pic.twitter.com/bDu0r5lJxh
— Simon Phillips (@siphillipssport) July 6, 2021
Werner was the Blues’ top-scorer but managed just 12 goals in all competitions, which is simply not enough for a team looking to challenge on multiple fronts.
Griezmann has struggled to live up to expectations following his £107 million move from Atletico Madrid in 2019. The France international has managed 35 goals in 99 appearances for the Catalan giants, but did impress in spurts last campaign under Ronald Koeman.
He remains a world-class forward and at 30, has a few more seasons of top-level football in him. The 30-year-old has a release clause of £683 million, but Barcelona would be willing to offload him for much less considering their financial struggles.
The Frenchman should be able to fit seamlessly into Tuchel’s high-energy system. Griezmann has tremendous work rate, he enjoys makes darting runs behind the defence and can also link up beautifully with his teammates. He is a quality finisher and an extremely versatile attacker capable of playing through the middle and also off the wings.
The Blues have also been linked with Erling Haaland, but the Borussia Dortmund striker would cost more than £150 million, making Griezmann a cheaper alternative.
His arrival would certainly help Tuchel’s side bridge the gap to Manchester City. The Blues finished fourth last season with 67 points, 19 points behind the champions.