Outside of Jadon Sancho leaving Borussia Dortmund for Manchester United, it’s mostly been a pretty dull summer transfer window. But a new report in French outlet Footmercato is certainly enticing, plausible and very logical.
The website claims that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola himself made a personal phone to FC Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann. This one sort of kind of checks all the boxes. City need a striker to replace the departed Sergio Aguero.
Barcelona greatly need to cut costs and offload salary, in order pay the now free agent Lionel Messi in a manner that gets them compliant with Financial Fair Play. There aren’t many places that can afford Griezmann, but City is certainly one. Also, City have yet to make a signing this summer, and everyone else who sounds splashy doesn’t seem to be on track towards happening any time soon.
They have plenty of cash, but logistics and cicrumstances aren’t working out in their favor.
The report goes on to say that City’s interest in Harry Kane has cooled due to his extremely high asking price. Once again the Messi situation seems to complicated to come to fruition.
And Erling Haaland would cost even more than Kane. So you look at the whole big picture, City are running out of options when it comes to making a big name signing, but Antoine Griezmann might work out the best for all involved, this transaction could be win-win-win.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.