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What's the story?
According to ESPN, Barcelona are working on finalizing a deal for Antoine Griezmann and are confident of concluding a deal for the Frenchman within a week.
The Atletico Madrid talisman's release clause dropped to €120 million yesterday and it is expected that Barca will pay out that clause in installments over the course of Griezmann's contract at the Camp Nou.
In case you didn't know...
Last season, Barca's publicized pursuit of Griezmann ended in embarrassment after the former Real Sociedad forward rejected the Catalan club's advances and decided to ink an extension to stay put at the Wanda Metropolitano till 2023.
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Griezmann's elaborate documentary-style video wherein he announced his decision to snub Barca drew a lot of criticism and naturally left Barca red-faced.
The nature of the snub has raised apprehensions within the Barca dressing room, with many players expressing concerns, albeit internally, about the Frenchman's potential arrival.
However, the top brass at the club have decided to swallow their pride and continue to pursue the Frenchman, with Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin admitting last month that he knew Griezmann will be playing for Barcelona since March.
Also see : Copa America Standings, EPL Transfer News, Womens World Cup Bracket.
The heart of the matter
As per Marca and ESPN, the Blaugrana are working on putting the finishing touches to the Griezmann deal and a conclusion could be reached within a week.
Barca are hoping to wrap up the transfer before they begin pre-season training on July 14. Besides Griezmann, Barca are still hoping to land the signature of Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain but will first have to sell in order to fund a move for the Brazilian superstar.
PSG are holding out for a sum in the region of €300 million for their crown jewel and with Griezmann's arrival imminent, it's difficult to see Barca being able to cough up such an exorbitant fee even if they manage to get rid of either Philippe Coutinho or Ousmane Dembele.
What's next?
As far as performances on the pitch go, Griezmann had a relatively lukewarm 2018-2019 campaign, netting just 15 times in 37 league appearances for the Rojiblancos.
However, he's expected to combine forces with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez and forge a fearsome partnership which Barca hope can help them maintain their stranglehold on the La Liga crown and also achieve European glory - something which has eluded them for a while now.
