Antoine Griezmann is a superstar for France and Barcelona. (imago Images)
According to The Daily Star, Barcelona striker Antoine Griezmann ‘will be offered’ to Chelsea. The Catalan giants are debt-ridden and want to free up their books in order to make room for Lionel Messi’s new contract, with the Frenchman expected to be a casualty.
The Blues, according to the report, are also linked with strikers like Romelu Lukaku and Erling Haaland. Thomas Tuchel is in the market for a new striker in order to give Timo Werner competition. So can Griezmann be the potential solution? Let us find out.
The Blues bought Timo Werner just last summer, but there is still a need for them to strengthen that department. Their 25-year-old German striker was not at his goal-scoring best this time around, and managed just six goals in 35 league games. While the Blues managed a top-4 finish last season, they can do with some more goals.
After all, they managed 25 goals fewer than Premier League champions Manchester City over the course of last season. That is why the report from Daily Star, which states that Chelsea’s priority is signing a striker does not come as a surprise.
Moreover, Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud are out of favour under Tuchel considering the lack of starts for the duo under him. The former was completely left out of the matchday squads for the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League final, while the latter started just three league games under him.
That is probably why both of them have been linked with a move away from the Bridge, with The Mirror mentioning that both Abraham and Giroud are preparing ‘to depart’. Michy Batshuayi, who last started a league game for the Blues in February 2020, is also ‘likely to leave the club‘. This means the Blues could be without a number of striking options for next season.
Giroud is turning 35 this year and even if he stays, he is not a long-term asset for the club. Hence, Griezmann is one player the Blues can sign to fill that void. At 30, he is arguably still in the prime of his career and can give a few years of service to the Blues.
With 220 goals in 558 senior appearances for clubs like Barcelona, Real Sociedad, and Atletico Madrid, it is safe to say that he has the experience to be a starter at Chelsea. He has produced the goods in the past. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner with France is also a highly versatile player.
He has primarily played as a striker through his career but made his name playing on the wings for Atletico and Sociedad. According to Transfermarkt, he scores more than one goal every two games when playing as a centre-forward. While that is not a reason enough to sign him, it shows he has been among the goals during his stint in Spain.
The Daily Star report also mentions that Barcelona are in a situation where Griezmann would be offered to free up their books. That means the Blues can assume an upper hand in negotiations to take advantage of any desperation on Barca’s part. The Frenchman can be a suitable alternative to the likes of Lukaku and Haaland – two players who could prove difficult to sign.
