After what feels like years of dalliance and transfer consideration, Griezmann is finally a Barcelona player and it is a move that could unsettle several players at Camp Nou. Lionel Messi has never hidden his admiration for Griezmann, whose versatility should make him ideal for a Barça front line that has perhaps lacked a little fluency over the past couple of years.
Luis Suarez has always been a little more equivocal, seemingly baffled by Griezmann’s love for Uruguay, but there is no reason why the three shouldn’t play together. Moreover, Barca’s downfall in the Champions League and Copa del Rey was evidence of a need for Blaugrana squad to be improved and there can be little doubt Antoine arrival achieves that. However, there are reasons for agitation as several Barcelona players will be weighing their chances in the club or if need be to look elsewhere.
In the short term it seems likely that Griezmann will operate on the left with Suarez through the middle and Messi on the right. However, with, Barça hopes on Ousmane Dembele establishing himself on the left, Antoine could really be the man that cement the center of the forward line, when Suarez could longer perform at his apex strength. Also, there have been raise in eyebrow among the Cules across the globe over the Coutinho’s performance for past one and half years now.
Although there’s unlikely to be any financial imperative to move the Brazilian on, after a disappointing season and a half at the Camp Nou, there must be serious questions about where he fits in. Barça, in truth, never quite seemed to know what sort of player it had bought. With a front three as mobile and dynamic as Barça now has again, it’s hard to see how it can accommodate a playmaker at the front of midfield.
One of the advantages of Griezmann: he can play wide or through the middle, as an out-and-out centre forward or as somebody who drops deep to create space for players cutting in from wide. He’s not just a very fine player in his own right but offers cover in a number of positions. Others will have to make way for the Frenchman. Philippe Coutinho and Malcom are the valuable stars Barcelona will likely move on this summer, while either Suarez or Ousmane Dembele face losing their starting place to the French international. Griezmann’s arrival at the Camp Nou presents a tactical dilemma for manager Valverde.
The former Real Sociedad man is a creative, left-footed attacker; a clinical finisher and a threat from range. He is at his best with the freedom to operate behind a No.9, moving centrally from the right. Despite these concerns, If Valverde can find a system which integrates Griezmann without impeding Messi, the Atletico talisman’s impact could be transformative. The best solution might be to craft an inside-forward role similar to that which David Villa thrived in at the Camp Nou, with Messi returning to false nine duties at Suarez’s expense.
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