Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have reached an agreement on the proposed swap deal involving Antoine Griezmann and Saul Niguez, according to Spanish publication COPE.
Griezmann has not been well received by the fans at Camp Nou, and his wages are also posing a problem for the financial management of the club. His two years at Barcelona have seen him struggle to reach his peak and form he showed at Atletico Madrid, and Barcelona are now willing to let him go.
Despite contributing a lot in Barcelona’s 20/21 Copa del Rey victory, it now looks like Griezmann could return to his former club. The player is currently on vacation in Ibiza with Atletico captain and former teammate Koke, and they could be reunited on the pitch by the end of the summer transfer window.
Saul, on the other hand, endured a difficult 20/21 season that saw him not be selected as often. And with the arrival of Rodrigo de Paul from Udinese who operates in a similar attacking midfield role, it is very likely that the player will leave the Wanda Metropolitano in search of a more important role in the squad. And if the reports from COPE are correct, his new adventure could be as a Blaugrana.
With Griezmann willing to take a pay cut to return to his former club, Barcelona will save €12 million. They will also acquire a brilliant midfielder after missing out on the signing of Gini Wijnaldum, who snubbed the Catalans in favour of a better contract at PSG.
