5 reasons why Barcelona should not buy Antoine Griezmann
The Frenchman has been one of the finest discoveries by Atletico Madrid in recent years. A product of the Real Sociedad cantera, the 26-year-old moved to the Spanish Capital in 2014.
Scoring over 65 goals in 126 odd appearances for the Rojiblancos, Griezmann has shone brilliantly for both his club and his national team. A run of marvellous performances in 2016 saw the mercurial star being tipped to win the Ballon d'Or.
He has been phenomenal for Atletico but his stay at the Madrid club seems scheduled to end amidst reports of the Frenchman moving away from the club in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Griezmann is currently under a contract with Atletico Madrid that will keep him at the club until 2021 unless someone pays his relatively low €100m (£88.4m) release clause.
His ability on and off the ball has earned the left-footed forward interest from various top clubs all over Europe, including the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona.
However, with the Manchester club likely to finalize Alexis Sanchez's move, the Catalan capital looks to be the ideal destination for the Frenchman. A perfect destination to display his potential and earn recognition for the same, Griezmann is reportedly eager to join the ranks of Barcelona and play alongside Leo Messi.
Manchester City's interests in the forward and their hefty bank balance won't make his move to Catalonia easy. Nonetheless, it has already been reported that talks between the player's family members and the Barcelona board are already underway.
Atletico Madrid also officially reported Barcelona's intentions to FIFA. However, his potential big-money signing would put Barcelona even far adrift off their philosophy of producing talent from the famous La Masia, a thing Cules won't like.
Let's look at 5 reasons why Griezmann isn't the perfect fit for Barcelona;
#1 Jose Arnaiz's development
The vibrant Spaniard capped off a dream start for the Barcelona first team in this year's Copa del Rey. Scoring three goals in his first three appearances for the club, the 22-year old is a young talent Ernesto Valverde is reportedly relying upon for the long-term and Griezmann's arrival in the summer is certainly going to put Arnaiz's development to a stand-still.
Also, as Arsenal are heavily linked with the Barcelona ace, the deal could be completed in the event of Griezmann arriving at the Nou Camp.
"The Segunda División is a tough league for a second team. I try to follow and watch Barça B whenever I can. We look at players who could be good for the first team, such as Aleñá, Oriol Busquets and Arnaiz, among others." - Ernesto Valverde
Valverde's recent trips to the Mini Estadi, where the B team plays sparked hopes of an imminent promotion among several players in the Barcelona B team, but if Griezmann's move is completed, even a promotion to the first team would be virtually useless given the Frenchman's abilities.
There are certainly a lot of players in the Second Division, including Arnaiz, who are eagerly waiting for their chance to don the Barcelona jersey with the first team.