Antoine Griezmann renews his contract with Atlético Madrid

[Dave]

Guillem Balon has been in the media again today stating that he will be leaving.

[SirBalon]

30 minutes ago, The Palace Fan said:

Guillem Balon has been in the media again today stating that he will be leaving.

Guillem Balon 

[Spike]

How dreadfully boring if he signs for Barca. 

[SirBalon]

57 minutes ago, Spike said:

How dreadfully boring if he signs for Barca. 

Where for you would it be interesting for Griezmann to go mate?

[Spike]

5 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Where for you would it be interesting for Griezmann to go mate?

Atletico Madrid.

[SirBalon]

Just now, Spike said:

Atletico Madrid.

I'm with you on that one.

[Spike]

Just now, SirBalon said:

I'm with you on that one.

Not that it'd be boring to watch him play for Barcelona, he is an amazing player but I don't think Barcelona need him nor does he need Barcelona. He is the man at Atletico, he'd just be another part of the Barcelona machine. Besides, I get that feeling, he'd be in the way at Barcelona, kind of like how Aguero and Tevez just get in Messi's way for Argentina and the whole thing just goes tits up.

[Samuel Eto'o]

22 minutes ago, Spike said:

Not that it'd be boring to watch him play for Barcelona, he is an amazing player but I don't think Barcelona need him nor does he need Barcelona. He is the man at Atletico, he'd just be another part of the Barcelona machine. Besides, I get that feeling, he'd be in the way at Barcelona, kind of like how Aguero and Tevez just get in Messi's way for Argentina and the whole thing just goes tits up.

Yes, boring in the sense that he'll make Barca even more invincible seems to be the prevailing school of thought. What if he doesn't pan out like Ibra or Alcacer? Granted, Antoine probably has a better football IQ and understanding of La Liga vis a vis the two of them but I personally am not that excited about him joining Barca unlike, say, the way I was about Luis Suarez.

[SirBalon]

31 minutes ago, Spike said:

Not that it'd be boring to watch him play for Barcelona, he is an amazing player but I don't think Barcelona need him nor does he need Barcelona. He is the man at Atletico, he'd just be another part of the Barcelona machine. Besides, I get that feeling, he'd be in the way at Barcelona, kind of like how Aguero and Tevez just get in Messi's way for Argentina and the whole thing just goes tits up.

At Atlético he fits right into the ethos of what the club has eternally been about which is battling as an underdog.  Griezmann is a battler and even though he does seem to have his own ego that transcends how good he is, he does bury it and put in a proper shift which is what that club has always been about in football terms.

Aside from all of that, Antoine Griezmann is a very very talented footballer because he isn't anything in particular in terms of positioning him.  He isn't a 9 at all but scores like one, he also isn't a winger at all, but has the trickery up his sleeve to be one (albeit without blistering pace) and he isn't a 10 although he functions as one many times.... All that spells the perfect Barcelona player, a player that improvises and that can ghost into various positions on the field.  If he doesn't score, he causes the opponent so many headaches that he frees other multi talented players.

He is also a bit of a Coutinho story in that he has eternally been associated with a move to Barcelona all the way back to his Real Sociedad days.  A move back then to Barça would've been a massive mistake because he wasn't from the academy and coming in as a signing he was just a talented youngster that wouldn't have made it into the first team.  At Atleti he has confirmed all the predictions that he would be a player that makes a difference and now Barcelona since last year have turned up the heat on Atlético Madrid in the attempt to sign him.  Griezmann really wants that move but if Atleti are forced to have to lose him (they're currently offering him the world and more to stay) they want him to move out of Spain. Because it isn't just Barça that want him but also Real Madrid.  The problem Real have is that Antoine would prefer a move to Barça out of the two and Atleti wouldn't sell to Real Madrid and rather lose money and send to him to Barcelona if it has to be a choice between the two.

The other choices are your own Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain... Not a bad selection for the guy if you ask me and he's earned it.

I personally think he'd fit into perfection at Barça.

[El Profesor]

56 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

At Atlético he fits right into the ethos of what the club has eternally been about which is battling as an underdog.  Griezmann is a battler and even though he does seem to have his own ego that transcends how good he is, he does bury it and put in a proper shift which is what that club has always been about in football terms.

Aside from all of that, Antoine Griezmann is a very very talented footballer because he isn't anything in particular in terms of positioning him.  He isn't a 9 at all but scores like one, he also isn't a winger at all, but has the trickery up his sleeve to be one (albeit without blistering pace) and he isn't a 10 although he functions as one many times.... All that spells the perfect Barcelona player, a player that improvises and that can ghost into various positions on the field.  If he doesn't score, he causes the opponent so many headaches that he frees other multi talented players.

He is also a bit of a Coutinho story in that he has eternally been associated with a move to Barcelona all the way back to his Real Sociedad days.  A move back then to Barça would've been a massive mistake because he wasn't from the academy and coming in as a signing he was just a talented youngster that wouldn't have made it into the first team.  At Atleti he has confirmed all the predictions that he would be a player that makes a difference and now Barcelona since last year have turned up the heat on Atlético Madrid in the attempt to sign him.  Griezmann really wants that move but if Atleti are forced to have to lose him (they're currently offering him the world and more to stay) they want him to move out of Spain. Because it isn't just Barça that want him but also Real Madrid.  The problem Real have is that Antoine would prefer a move to Barça out of the two and Atleti wouldn't sell to Real Madrid and rather lose money and send to him to Barcelona if it has to be a choice between the two.

The other choices are your own Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain... Not a bad selection for the guy if you ask me and he's earned it.

I personally think he'd fit into perfection at Barça.

Where would he play? With Dembélé more and more at ease, it´s difficult to find a place to Griezmann in Barça´s attack. 

[Samuel Eto'o]

2 hours ago, SirBalon said:

At Atlético he fits right into the ethos of what the club has eternally been about which is battling as an underdog.  Griezmann is a battler and even though he does seem to have his own ego that transcends how good he is, he does bury it and put in a proper shift which is what that club has always been about in football terms.

Aside from all of that, Antoine Griezmann is a very very talented footballer because he isn't anything in particular in terms of positioning him.  He isn't a 9 at all but scores like one, he also isn't a winger at all, but has the trickery up his sleeve to be one (albeit without blistering pace) and he isn't a 10 although he functions as one many times.... All that spells the perfect Barcelona player, a player that improvises and that can ghost into various positions on the field.  If he doesn't score, he causes the opponent so many headaches that he frees other multi talented players.

He is also a bit of a Coutinho story in that he has eternally been associated with a move to Barcelona all the way back to his Real Sociedad days.  A move back then to Barça would've been a massive mistake because he wasn't from the academy and coming in as a signing he was just a talented youngster that wouldn't have made it into the first team.  At Atleti he has confirmed all the predictions that he would be a player that makes a difference and now Barcelona since last year have turned up the heat on Atlético Madrid in the attempt to sign him.  Griezmann really wants that move but if Atleti are forced to have to lose him (they're currently offering him the world and more to stay) they want him to move out of Spain. Because it isn't just Barça that want him but also Real Madrid.  The problem Real have is that Antoine would prefer a move to Barça out of the two and Atleti wouldn't sell to Real Madrid and rather lose money and send to him to Barcelona if it has to be a choice between the two.

The other choices are your own Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain... Not a bad selection for the guy if you ask me and he's earned it.

I personally think he'd fit into perfection at Barça.

I agree with @SirBalon . Griezmann's movement on and off the ball is right up there with the very best. He can definitely be a success in Barca with Messi (the great players work well with each other). He's a probably a prototypical "Barca striker" in the Barca DNA mold (if there is such a thing).

Having said that, he's just never captured my imagination the way a Mbappe for example has. Neither did Costa. Whether that's due to my dislike of the way Atletico plays or not I can't say.

 

Antoine's 27. Mbappe is 19. The upside of the latter is endless.

[SirBalon]

2 hours ago, El_Loco said:

Where would he play? With Dembélé more and more at ease, it´s difficult to find a place to Griezmann in Barça´s attack. 

I have no idea mate and at €100m (which is his buy-out clause) he would be a very expensive squad player if that's what he's being sought after for.

But in my personal opinion Griezmann clashes more with Coutinho than anyone else there now.  Everyone was talking about Coutinho possibly clashing more with Iniesta which I always thought was absurd because they're not alike at all and have Infact been players together a lot since Coutinho arrived.  But with Griezmann I can see a clash of styles although they provide different facets.

[Carnivore Chris]

There is talk of Simeone wanting Dybala as a replacement. I wouldn't rule it out either as you can't underestimate the pulling power of Diego Simeone when it comes to Argentines. Not to mention, they'd pay him well, he'd be playing in a big new stadium, etc. They are an attractable club again these days.

[Dave]

 

[RandoEFC+]

Be so boring if he went to Barcelona.

[SirBalon]

According to rumours, FC Barcelona could be about to activate Antoine Griezmann's buy-out clause so as to end the situation as soon as possible. This according to inside information coming from within the Barça camp.

On another note, Atlético Madrid are absolutely furious with Barça for the manner they've (Barcelona) been leaking information to the press and making public statements which has put an immense amount of pressure on the negotiations Atlético Madrid were trying to orchestrate in the attempt to keep Griezmann at the club. Atleti vice-president Gil-Marin said in a public statement that Atleti are sick and tired with Barça's attitude and that the excellent relationship between both clubs is being stretched to the limit.

[Spike]

5 hours ago, SirBalon said:

According to rumours, FC Barcelona could be about to activate Antoine Griezmann's buy-out clause so as to end the situation as soon as possible. This according to inside information coming from within the Barça camp.

On another note, Atlético Madrid are absolutely furious with Barça for the manner they've (Barcelona) been leaking information to the press and making public statements which has put an immense amount of pressure on the negotiations Atlético Madrid were trying to orchestrate in the attempt to keep Griezmann at the club. Atleti vice-president Gil-Marin said in a public statement that Atleti are sick and tired with Barça's attitude and that the excellent relationship between both clubs is being stretched to the limit.

Barca never play nice with transfers. I can't blame them really. I do like how they tried to bully PSG into selling Verratti and Thiago Silva only for the oil turd to activate Neymar's release clause.

[Cicero]

Where would he even play? 

[Spike]

13 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Where would he even play? 

At Barcelona.

[Cicero]

5 minutes ago, Spike said:

At Barcelona.

Bantz

So they spent more than 100 mill on Dembele, only for him to sit on the bench? 

 

[SirBalon]

33 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Bantz

So they spent more than 100 mill on Dembele, only for him to sit on the bench? 

 

The Dembélé situation is becoming very strange indeed. He needs next season to bed in but his character as a loner isn’t helping him at all. Infact the total contrary. 

[SirBalon]

1 hour ago, Spike said:

Barca never play nice with transfers. I can't blame them really. I do like how they tried to bully PSG into selling Verratti and Thiago Silva only for the oil turd to activate Neymar's release clause.

They didn’t bully PSG at all with the Thiago Silva scenario back then. That was pure club to club negotiations which didn’t work in the end and Barça backed off. The following season they went in for Marquinhos in the same manner and with the same outcome.

The Verratti situation was major bullying by Barcelona and to be honest even though it didn’t work out, I loved every minute of it and I would laugh my head off if Real get Neymar off them. 

[Carnivore Chris]

Dembele, Denis Suarez, Paco, Yerry Mina and Arthur(let's be honest, he won't play, it'll just be another pointless signing that isn't given a chance even if he impresses) should just be sold. There is no place for players under 25 at the club anymore!

 

[SirBalon]

21 minutes ago, The Rebel CRS said:

Dembele, Denis Suarez, Paco, Yerry Mina and Arthur(let's be honest, he won't play, it'll just be another pointless signing that isn't given a chance even if he impresses) should just be sold. There is no place for players under 25 at the club anymore!

 

It’s getting that way with football in general mate. The demand for success no longer gives any margin for experiments unfortunately mate. 

[Cicero]

Just now, SirBalon said:

It’s getting that way with football in general mate. The demand for success no longer gives any margin for experiments unfortunately mate. 

Arthur will probably start ahead of Rakitic at some point. 

Alena is an absolute shame and will flourish where ever he goes.