Barcelona could reportedly be looking to offer Antoine Griezmann in a shock deal to land primary target Neymar next summer.
If the report by French outlet Le 10 Sport is to be believed, Antoine Griezmann’s Barcelona stint might not last long. The La Liga champions are weighing up the prospect of offering the struggling Frenchman as part of a swap deal to prise priority target Neymar away from PSG next summer.
Griezmann joined Barcelona from Atletico Madrid this past summer, amid a lot of hype and controversy. There had understandably been a lot of excitement surrounding the Frenchman’s acquisition, what with the player consistently being one of the best players in La Liga.
But, the ensuing months have been a struggle for the 28-year-old, who is finding it hard to settle into his new surroundings. Even so, reports of a possible switch to PSG to facilitate Neymar’s return to Barcelona come as a shock more than anything.
By now, it is common knowledge that Barcelona are eager to bring Neymar back to Camp Nou. The Blaugrana were hot in pursuit of their former star for much of the summer transfer window, but were eventually unable to secure his services, with PSG rebuffing their attempts to sign him.
A lack of funds were understandably the restriction for Barcelona, thanks to their outlay to sign Griezmann. As a result, there were even suggestions that the La Liga champions had proposed an initial loan move before permanently signing Neymar next summer, although they were naturally knocked back in their offer.
Now, though, it looks as if Barcelona are ready to renew their pursuit of Neymar, albeit by sacrificing Griezmann. The report suggests that the Catalan giants are ready to offer their star summer arrival as part of a swap deal to land Neymar.
PSG seem to be entertaining the prospect as well, although it has been pointed out that they will only agree to a player-plus-cash deal to offload Neymar. As for the player’s wishes, despite a strong start to the season, the fences do not seem to have been mended and he remains eager to make his way back to Camp Nou.
The rumour, however, ought to be taken with a pinch of salt, what with Griezmann receiving support from all quarters at Barcelona. Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see how these claims develop in the weeks and months to come, as Neymar continues to be linked with a return to his former club.
