Barcelona responds to claims about deal with Griezmann to secretly sign in the MUFC target

Spanish giants Barcelona have finally responded to claims that the club is in secret conversation to sign a deal with Antoine Griezmann, the forward of Atletico Madrid. The player’s current release clause is worth £89 million. Barcelona responds while issuing a statement to address this rumour.

Barcelona responds to claims about deal with Griezmann to secretly sign in the MUFC target

Griezmann’s transfer denied by Barcelona

Earlier claims by Sport said that the Catalans were in the process of striking a secret deal with the French player to make him join the team during the summer transfer. But, as a move that looks unprecedented, Barcelona has issued a new statement on their website, and has denied such a deal ever having taken place or talked about.

The statement says that the club categorically denies all reports published recently by various publications, associating Atletico Madrid’s star player Antoine Griezmann, with club Barcelona, and has expressed its displeasure to see such rumours, besides extending a display of respect to their Spanish League competitor.

The 26 years old soccer player, Griezmann, whose release clause is worth €100 million in his contract, has been recently linked to the current La Liga leaders, as well as English Premier League champion Manchester United. There have been claims that the new member of Barcelona, Philippe Coutinho, whose transfer cost the team £142 million, has been given a no. 14 jersey, as a sign of Griezmann getting ready to join the team to grab the no. 7 shirt, which is the only one left.

According to the claims by Sport, Josep Mario Bartomeu, the president of Barcelona, had earlier arranged the deals with Gil Marín, the Chief Executive of Atletco Madrid, and had a strong say in that deal. If Bartomeu or Griezmann had not decided to allow the player’s Barca transfer, an unrevealed penalty charge would be inflicted on Atleti. Sport’s publication of the story also came with the side-note regarding the unopposed power Bartomeu in a sub-heading, mentioning that Bartomeu will have the last word, and after signing Coutinho and Dembélé, the president has stayed quiet.

Barcelona responds to the claim of signing Griezmann

Samuel Umtiti , Griezmann’s French teammate, who is a member of Barcelona, has openly expressed his happiness at the possibility of his national colleague’s transfer to his club, saying that after seeing him at  Atletico, proving himself as an amazing player, his suggestion to Griezmann will be to join Barca, if such an option presents itself.