Reports Say Antoine Griezmann To Barcelona Is A Done Deal

Once again reports from Spain today say that at the end of the season Antoine Griezmann will swap Atletico Madrid for Barcelona. The two sides reportedly already have an agreement in place.

Griezmann has been one of Europe's top forwards in the last few years but his time at Atletico looked to be coming to an end last season when he was Manchester United's number one summer transfer target, it looked so inevitable that Alexandre Lacazette had been lined up as his replacement.

In the end Atleti's transfer ban not being lifted scuppered both deals as the Frenchman didn't want to leave his club high and dry as they couldn't sign a replacement.

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Since then links between Barcelona and Griezmann have refused to go away with many expecting the deal to happen this summer even after the La Liga leaders additions of Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho in recent months.

Last night Radio Cat in Spain reported that the deal has already been agreed with Barca just needing to activate the 26 year old's 100 million release clause once the transfer window opens in July.

Sport's Albert Roge also tweeted reporting the deal was '100% certain':

Considering it's long been thought that the transfer will happen this year and with Barca hardly in need of good news after yet another loss for Real Madrid last night you might be wondering why the news is coming about now.

Well a quick peruse of Barcelona's fixture list will tell you that Ernesto Valverde's side host Diego Simeone's side at the weekend. A cynic might say leaking this news would help annoy their opposition and distract them from the task a hand, a cynic- not me you realise.

It's not like Barcelona's attacking riches need loads of strengthening. Image: PA Images.

The Camp Nou side already have Dembele and Coutinho in their attacking ranks as well, of course, as Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez so you wonder where exactly Griezmann will fit in, but it's hardly one of those bad problems to have.

It could be yet another massive summer of transfers, Griezmann may well be the first.

Topics: Football News, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Antoine Griezmann, Spain, La Liga

Ryan Sidle

Ryan is a writer for SPORTbible. He covers all sport from football, formula one, cricket, rugby, tennis, athletics, mma and wrestling. He obviously hates YOUR football team and has no interest in synchronised swimming.

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