Barcelona were unstoppable in the La Liga last season. The Spanish champions finished the season with 93 points, 14 points above second-placed Atletico Madrid and 17 points above third-placed Real Madrid. While they simply ran away with the league title, Barcelona were once again eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Hence, they must aim to improve their record in Europe next season.
Manager Ernesto Valverde had a successful first campaign with the club and he will be gearing up for next season. The club already brought in Phillipe Coutinho from Liverpool in January, with a view to replacing club legend Andres Iniesta.
Nevertheless, the manager needs to bring in a good number of new recruits this summer. One player that will surely require backup next season, is Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan joined Barcelona from Liverpool in 2014 and has gone on to make a total of 130 appearances for the club, scoring 110 goals in the league.
Suarez turned 31 this year, and that means Barcelona will need a new talisman to replace the Uruguayan once age takes its toll.
One player that has been linked with Barcelona all summer is Antoine Griezmann. The French forward is touted to replace Suarez at the Camp Nou when the time comes. The striker joined Atletico Madrid in 2014 from Real Sociedad. Since then, he has made a total 142 appearances for the club, scoring 79 goals across that time. In terms of quality, he is right up there with the best strikers on the planet.
Griezmann is a clinical finisher in front of the goal. He made 30 appearances in the La Liga last season, scoring 19 goals. He has a deadly left foot while boasting of impressive dribbling abilities and pace.
The 27-year-old also scored 6 goals in 7 Europa League matches. Griezmann is the prime example of a goalscoring machine, who has consistently scored more than 20 goals for the Spanish club over the last three seasons.
Barcelona’s tiki-taka style also suits the player’s game, with Griezmann often feeding off his teammates’ supply. He’s smart in front of goal and times his runs perfectly. Alongside Messi, Coutinho and Dembele, Griezmann would surely thrive.
Prying him away from Atletico will be quite tough but if Valverde plays his cards right, he might just succeed in luring Griezmann to Camp Nou this summer.
