Man Utd, Chelsea on alert as Barcelona name price and stick star on market

Barcelona are reported to have put Antoine Griezmann up for sale, with Manchester United named as one of three clubs in the running to sign the France star this summer.

The World Cup winner moved to the Nou Camp last summer when Barca met the €120m exit clause in his contract at Atletico Madrid, but he has not quite performed to the levels expected at the Nou Camp.

Griezmann has, so far, scored 14 times and has four assists to his name from 37 appearances for the Blaugranes – but Sport states that he will be the major name sacrificed by the club this summer as they look to bring in transfer funds for a huge summer rebuilding programme.

As per the report, Barcelona are looking for a fee in excess of €100m for the forward, with United, Chelsea and PSG named as the three clubs all alerted by the LaLiga champions’ willingness to cash in.

It’s reported Barca are willing to let all of Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele and Griezmann all depart this summer in order to raise funds needed to bring Neymar back to the club from PSG and secure the signature of Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez. Moves for the duo would set Barcelona back close to €300m.

Argentinian superstar Martinez has a staggering €111m exit clause in his contract at Inter Milan, but that has not prevented a series of big hitters from looking to sign him with Barcelona reportedly extremely keen with Lionel Messi keen to star alongside his countryman at the Nou Camp.

Reports in Sunday’s papers, meanwhile, claim Neymar has indicated to PSG bosses that he wants to return to the Nou Camp this summer, having moved to France for a world record fee of €222m back in summer 2017.

Meanwhile, Dembele will also be shown the door having badly struggled with injuries since joining Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund shortly after Neymar’s departure.

Coutinho’s future also seems destined to be away from the Nou Camp; the £140m signing from Liverpool in January 2018 currently on loan at Bayern Munich but looking increasingly unlikely to join the Bavarians in a permanent deal this summer.

 

 

Manchester United have been linked with Coutinho, but a move for Griezmann – a long-term target for the club – would surely have more appeal.

The forward, now 29, almost joined the club in summer 2017 when he rated his chances of a move to Old Trafford as a “six out of 10”.