BARCELONA will not sell Antoine Griezmann this summer amid reports of a personal meeting to reassure the striker.
Speculation has been rife that the Frenchman will be allowed to leave as part of the Camp Nou club’s desperate attempts to balance their finances.
Griezmann announced his return to the team with a stunning chip past Villarreal on the weekendCredit: Reuters
The coronavirus pandemic, coupled with a spiralling wage bill, has taken its toll on the Catalans.
Having agreed a large wage cut, worth up to 70 per cent, with the squad as the crisis began, talk of player sales ramped up.
Griezmann was reportedly one of the star names lined up for a shock exit, only a year after arriving from Atletico Madrid.
And Barcelona’s return to the pitch to see out the LaLiga season did little to quell those rumours, with the 29-year-old starting only three of the first six games back.
Last week, it was even suggested that he was ready to hear out an offer from either Manchester club, City or United.
According to ESPN, the club arranged a meeting with Griezmann’s sister and agent, Maud, to calm any worries about his future.
Both parties are said to have come out of the talks satisfied and he is now set to stay put.
Griezmann is reportedly classed as unsaleable alongside Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique, Frenkie de Jong and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The striker returned to Quique Setien’s starting XI to face Villarreal at the start of the month, scoring a sumptuous chip in the 4-1 win.
The scenes of celebration were a far cry from the fury over his late substitute appearances against Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid.
A mere two-minute runout against his old club prompted angry responses online from his brother Theo and father Alain.
Pro-gamer Theo wrote “I feel like crying, seriously” while Alain accused Setien of not having “the keys to the lorry”, describing him as a “passenger” – before the posts were deleted.
The coach refused to apologise for the meagre outing as he looked to close the gap on title race favourites Real Madrid.
Setien stated: “I don’t agree that I have no confidence in him.
“He’s an important player, but I understand it’s tough for him to come on with so little time left. I will speak with him [on Wednesday].
“I won’t say sorry, because [it’s about] decisions, but I understand he may feel bad, and I feel bad for him because he’s a great person and a great professional.”
Antoine Griezmann shows off his goal scoring skills in Barcelona team training
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
