Barcelona Stance on Antoine Griezmann & Neymar Ahead of Summer Window

Barcelona have reassured Antoine Griezmann that he will not be sold in the summer, while a move for Neymar is also unlikely for the Catalan giants.

Griezmann’s future has been the subject of scrutiny after a difficult first season in Catalonia, exacerbated by a lack of playing time since La Liga returned last month. Prior to his side’s victory against Villarreal on Sunday the forward had made just three starts from six games.

The player’s agent is understood to have demanded a meeting with the Barça board to discuss the situation. However, any concerns have now been alleviated, according to L’Equipe. The French outlet report that Griezmann has been told that Barcelona have faith in him and he will not be sold during the upcoming transfer window.

The World Cup winner only joined the club last summer in a deal worth around £108m, though he has endured a frustrating debut campaign. Struggling to fit in the side alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, Griezmann has managed nine La Liga goals – one of the lowest returns of his career.

However, he looked much improved against Villareal. The former Atletico Madrid man performed well alongside Messi and Suarez, scoring a sublime chip to help his side record a much needed 4-1 win.

One player that Griezmann is unlikely to be playing alongside next season is Neymar. The Brazilian has long been linked with a Camp Nou return, but club president Josep Maria Bartomeu recently admitted that the move was unlikely due to the global impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Such an operation is unlikely because the situation of all the clubs in Europe is very difficult,” Bartomeu told RAC 1 (via AS).

Barcelona are understood to be in a difficult financial position and they recently sold Arthur to Juventus in a bizarre part-exchange deal involving Miralem Pjanic, in order to raise some funds to balance the books.

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