Antoine Griezmann celebrates after scoring for Barcelona (Getty Images)
According to Ok Diario (h/t Express), Arsenal have been handed a way to sign Barcelona star Antoine Griezmann, with the La Liga giants willing to take a hit and sell the player for £97m.
Griezmann, a 2018 World Cup winner with France just arrived at the Camp Nou last summer from rivals Atletico Madrid. Despite netting 14 goals and assisting four times from 37 matches, the Catalan giants are still not impressed with the French forward.
Also, Barcelona are on the lookout for a new striker and have placed Arsenal finisher Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and PSG forward Neymar in their list of top targets. Griezmann’s inability to create a spark in Barcelona have seen the other two being rated higher than the 29-year-old.
Moreover, Griezmann who plays as a centre-forward for his French national side and former side Atletico Madrid has been pursuing a wider role in Barcelona. The likes of first-choice finisher Luis Suarez has restricted the Frenchman to the left flank, that has seen him play in a different role which he supposedly hasn’t played for quite some time.
Even an injury to Suarez recently did not see the Catalans offering the striker’s role to Griezmann. They rather dipped into the January transfer market and bought Martin Braithwaite as a temporary solution.
This clearly shows a troubled relationship within the club as things have not gone so smoothly for the World Cup winner. Meanwhile, Arsenal need some established stars who could help them bolster their squad next season.
Except for star man Aubameyang, the rest of the players have failed to impress in front of the goal. Lack of consistent goal-scorers has hurt Mikel Arteta’s side, who are struggling at 9th place this season.
Their other centre-forward Alexandre Lacazette, on the other hand, has not been in good form and has been inconsistent this entire season. Also, with Aubameyang linked with an exit from a host of Europe’s elite clubs, it would do them a world of good if they could land Griezmann at the Emirates next season.
If Aubameyang decides to move elsewhere next summer, Arsenal will be left with no other option but to look for an established striker. At such a juncture, Griezmann would most likely be the best of options for the Gunners as he is already a proven and consistent performer.
