After talks with Atletico Madrid for a swap between Saul and Griezmann broke down, Barcelona is now speaking with Juventus about another potential five-star exchange.
French paper L’Equipe claims Barcelona has started negotiations with Juve, hoping to offload Griezmann, who’s one of the top earners on the roster. Barca boss Laporta hoped the Frenchman’s comeback to Atletico would please all parties involved, but in the end, clubs couldn’t agree on how to make the deal happen.
Talks are at an early stage, but both Barcelona and Juventus appear confident they can pull off a deal. At this point, it’s still unknown if any of the terms will involve money to ease the affair.
Dybala, 27, came to Juventus in 2015, from Palermo. He made the Serie A team on four occasions and received the league MVP in 2019-2020. Last season, the Argentinean only scored five goals and provided three assists in the 26 games he played. His campaign was marked by a ligament injury in his left knee that didn’t allow him to reach his maximum potential.
This summer, Griezmann played for France at Euro 2020 and is still enjoying his holidays. World champions France were the favorites in the continental competition, but lost to Switzerland in the Round of 16 after a dramatic penalty shootout. Dybala missed Argentina’s Copa America triumph, with coach Lionel Scaloni explaining: “I’m very sad that Dybala can’t come. I really admire Paulo, but Argentina needs players who are fit and ready.”
Griezmann, an essential sale for Barcelona
During his two seasons at Camp Nou, “Grizou” (30) scored 35 goals and assisted another 17. The forward cost the Catalonian giants $140 million. Griezmann earns close to $30 million each year and still has three years left in his contract. He is still valued at Barcelona, but the club’s financial troubles put him in a difficult position.
Coutinho is also expected to be a “victim” this summer. He’s on a huge $26 million deal, which is regarded as a major problem for his ability to continue in La Liga. Barcelona is looking to sell the Brazilian, who rarely reached the level expected from him. Coutinho moved to Barcelona in January 2018, with Liverpool getting $140 million in return. Barca still has an additional $50 million to pay in bonuses.
The first one, worth almost $25 million, will be triggered once Coutinho reaches 100 games at Barcelona. He is currently on 90 and hasn’t played any game for the first team since December 2020, when he picked up a meniscus injury. He is still recovering from his medical problem.
Barcelona’s valuation of Coutinho currently stands at $60 million.