Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has dropped a hint that Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann will arrive at the Camp Nou in the summer transfer window.
The France international has been heavily linked with a move to the Catalan club and the reports have only intensified in the first few days of this month. Spanish newspaper Marca earlier reported the conversations have already taken place and the La Liga winners are keen on completing the deal as soon as possible.
Griezmann has a release clause of €100m in his contract. Catalunya Radio also went on to stress Barcelona officials met Griezmann’s sister, Maud, and a representative to discuss the terms ahead of his potential switch to Barcelona.
Ernesto Valverde already has the services of Lionel Messi, Suarez and Ousmane Dembele to lead his side’s attack. The addition of Griezmann will only increase competition but the former Liverpool striker is unmoved by the competition.
“It makes the club proud to bring players of this quality like Antoine, like Dembele and [Philippe] Coutinho came,” Suarez told Radio Rincon (via AS).
“He’s a player who brings a huge amount, he has a lot of years playing at the highest level, always fighting. He rules up front for Atletico and that is fundamental.
“He is not coming to take the place of anyone, but with the ambition of winning important things. He will be welcomed.”
Barcelona lost Neymar last summer as the Brazilian international completed a switch to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record fee of €222 million. Suarez expressed his disappointment after his “friend” left Camp Nou and stressed the former Santos star did not join PSG for money.
“His departure did hurt, we were friends, he took the decision with all responsibility, but we were aware that he was going to be missed. I think he didn’t go for the money, but for the goals he wanted to fulfil in Paris,” the Uruguayan international explained.
On Messi, he said: “I do not see him as Leo Messi, but as a human being, our children are friends and our wives too.
“It’s difficult in football to find a friend, more so, if the other player plays in the same position as you because of the egos that exist. However, with Leo we lived it differently, he helped me to reach the Golden Boot and now I will do what I can for him.”
