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The Agreement Antoine Griezmann And Ronald Koeman Have Made

The Agreement Antoine Griezmann And Ronald Koeman Have Made

The Frenchman is said to have held productive talks with the new boss...

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

While Ronald Koeman has told a host of Barcelona players he does not see a future for them, it's not the case with Antoine Griezmann despite a difficult first season for him.

There was huge expectation on the shoulders of the Frenchman following his Β£107 million move from Atletico Madrid but he struggled to fit in at the Blaugrana.

He did score 15 goals in 48 appearances but regularly had to play out of position under both Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien to accommodate Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.

However, it seems as though new boss Koeman has big plans for him. According to L'Equipe, Griezmann has held positive discussions with the Dutchman and looks set to be given a run in his preferred central role.

And in a gesture that shows the faith the former Everton and Southampton manager has in his abilities, Griezmann has been promised to the No.7 shirt for the new campaign.

He took on the No.17 after moving to the Camp Nou but wasn't allowed to change to his favourite number - even though it became vacant after Philippe Coutinho was loaned out to Bayern Munich, where he scored twice in the 8-2 Champions League quarter final humiliation over his parent club en route to winning a treble.

Koeman has already expressed his desire to play Griezmann centrally and get the best out of him.

"With all my respect, Griezmann must play in his position," he told NOS.

"It is not an extreme. It is not. You have to play in your role. This is where the most important part of a coach comes in, knowing your players well and getting the most out of them."


Koeman's chat with Griezmann was very different to his first encounter with Lionel Messi, who has informed the club he wishes to leave.

The Barcelona captain and talisman is said to have felt "disrespected" after reportedly being told, "the privileges in this squad are over, you have to do everything for the team".

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Topics:Β Football News, FC Barcelona, Football, Antoine Griezmann, Ronald Koeman