SER: Atletico offered three players in the summer to get back Griezmann

SER: Atletico offered three players in the summer to get back Griezmann

BeSoccer 4 years ago 2.1k |

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Could Antoine Griezmann have returned to Atletico Madrid? According to 'Cadena SER', yes. Apparently, 'los colchoneros offered Barca a swap deal this summer which would have seen the Catalans get Mario Hermoso, Lemar and Morata in place of the Frenchman. However, Bartomeu said he was not for sale.

In a week where there has been controversy over the relationship between Leo Messi and Antoine Griezmann and his difficult adaptation to Barcelona, 'Cadena SER' says that the French striker had the option to return last summer to Atletico Madrid.

According to journalist Sique Rodriguez on 'Carrusel Deportivo', Atletico Madrid wanted to get Griezmann back and so they offered Barca up to three players in order to persuade Josep Maria Bartomeu.

The footballers in question were Mario Hermoso, Thomas Lemar and Álvaro Morata. However, the Barcelona president decided to reject the offer as he said he was not for sale, something which he himself confirmed in an interview for 'Barca TV'. Of course Semedo was also part of the offer. In the end, he went to Wolves.

After a year in which Joao Felix did not show his full potential and the fact they were aware of Griezmann's difficulty at Barcelona, Atletico Madrid went after him and tried to use his close relationship with Diego Simeone to their advantage, the cited media outlet says.

On the build up to the clash between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, the French striker has been on everyone's lips because of his misunderstanding with Messi. First, it was his former advisor Eric Olhats, who ended up backtracking on Saturday after saying the Argentine "did not even pass him the ball."

Afterwards, his uncle Emmanuel Lopez spoke. "I'm convinced that he wasn't going to be successful in his first six months, but what no one was expecting was that it was going to last a year. In addition, with Messi I know what happens at Barca and it isn't easy," he told 'El Chiringuito de Jugones'. Messi reacted angrily to these comments when asked about it at the airport.

Antoine Griezmann's situation is still not easy at Barca, regardless of whether he gets on better with Messi or not, He has scored two goals and given an assist in nine matches and he has yet to settle into Ronald Koeman's formation despite the fact he has played both as a winger and a '9'. Now, he is facing an Atletico side who reportedly wanted him back in the summer.

November 21, 2020