Barcelona Sign New Player Antoine Griezmann, But Still Have The Same Old Problems

The transfer that has been over a year within the creating, and has felt essentially inevitable for a handful months currently, has currently been completed. Antoine Griezmann is ultimately formally a urban center player.

Since the day Griezmann proclaimed that he would be effort Atlético Madrid this summer, his close at hand arrival at urban center has been one thing of associate secret. Barça and Grizi nearly connected within the summer of 2018, however as represented in his foolish, will-he-stay-or-will-he-go TV special, the French person set to stay it enter Madrid for a minimum of another season. This time, there was no method Barça were planning to let the 28-year-old go away.

Along with guaranteeing Griezmann’s place at Atlético for last season, the same TV special seemed to have nearly value Grizi his dream move this summer. many of us in and round the club, reportedly together with many big-name players, were irritated that Griezmann had snubbed Barça in such public fashion the season previous. Those lingering annoyances were behind the reports that Barça’s room was once morest the club pushing to sign Griezmann again this year, particularly once it became clear that the players’ old flame and former mate Neymar may well be obtainable.

Nevertheless, cooler heads prevailed (or perhaps it had been the reported secret pre-contractual agreement between the parties that declared if either Barça or Griezmann stony-broke their promise to affix forces this summer, then the violative party would got to pay the opposite a penalty fee), and these days urban center proclaimed that they’d gotten their man. (Atleti, World Health Organization are peeved at each Griezmann and urban center over this deal for a solid year currently, discharged a salty statement of their own claiming Barça still owe them cash, however that’s simply legal conceit that’ll nearly definitely quantity to nada.)

It’s tough to investigate the case on the pitch while not knowing wherever urban center set up on going from here. On one hand, Griezmann may be a fantastic player, one in every of the world’s perfect, World Health Organization like a shot upgrades a Blaugrana squad that has been desperate for associate elite, prime-aged forward since Neymar left. Griezmann may be a terror before of goal, may be a genius together play, and for those reasons would seem to be a cosy match with a club that demands each of these attributes from its attackers. Not since the exit of Neymar and therefore the death of the simplest version of Luis Su?rez has Messi had a mate World Health Organization might compliment him with marking and associating the method Grizi are going to be ready to from day one. putt those 2 along is much a lock to form fireworks.

On the opposite hand, Griezmann has no natural place within the Barça beginning lineup, and he doesn’t solve any of the a lot of structural problems that have hampered Barcelona’s play wherever they most would like facilitate, within the Champions League. Griezmann came to prominence as a goalscoring wide man at Real Sociedad, however he became the large he's these days once finally placed in his best position as a second striker. Griezmann might come to his spot out wide at urban center and replace Philippe Coutinho or Ousmane Dembélé out on the left within the 4-3-3 Barça used most of last season, however putt him solution there would limit his game, wasting what he will best. On high of that, a line of Grizi-Su?rez-Messi has constant lack of space-attacking threat that has created Barcelona’s attack look thus worryingly toothless in massive away games within the Champions League.

Barcelona might use Griezmann’s addition as the simplest way of phasing Su?rez out of the beginning XI. one in every of either Griezmann or Messi might play centrally, the opposite one absorbing one wing, and Dembélé inhabitation out on the opposite. This would possibly look sensible on paper, however it'd lack the denotive forward sooner than them that Griezmann and Messi each got to thrive, and yet again would suffer from the absence of a quick guy World Health Organization desires to form runs in behind.

And all of that's before considering the elephant within the area, that is that the robust risk that Griezmann are going to be joined in Barcelona’s ugly, knockoff-Croatia-looking checkered kits by the prodigal son himself, Neymar. Neymar returning would most likely necessitate Barça adopting the Su?rez-less system mentioned higher than, swapping Dembélé out for Neymar. As assortment|a set|a group} of talent that trio would be traditionally amazing; as a well-fitting collection of complimentary figures, it might probably be awkward, with 3 guys all extraordinarily sensible at doing primarily constant precise factor.

Barcelona sign language Griezmann is exciting and promising and every one that, however while not knowing wherever Barça go from here, it’s still unclear of however wise it's and the way victorious it might prove. If Barça achieve transfer Neymar back, then you’d most likely back the outrageous gifts of that trinity to beat any potential fit-related weirdness—though things ending in a very Gal?ctico-esque disaster wouldn’t be out of the realm of risk. If Barça fail to urge Neymar, you’d got to imagine they’d chase a replacement striker who’d hopefully be a lot of of the type of comprehensive center forward associate attack designed around Messi and Grizi would appear to give tongue to for, within which case the addition of Grizi may be getting ready to ideal. And even though urban center don’t sign another forward in the least this summer, and go in the season with Griezmann slotted in wherever Coutinho and Dembélé had been enjoying, you’d still got to create them legitimate contenders, if not favorites, to win the Champions League.