Barcelona ‘prioritising Antoine Griezmann departure’ and want four other summer exits

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Barcelona are prioritising the sales of several first-team players as the club looks to compile funds to re-sign Lionel Messi. Antoine Griezmann could be one of the victims of the incoming exodus, with Messi currently the hottest free agent in football history.

According to Marca, offloading Griezmann alone won’t be the key to handing Messi a new contract.

The Spanish outlet report that Barcelona will prioritise accumulating funds from selling four other players.

Those mentioned are Samuel Umititi, Miralem Pjanic, Phillipe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele.

The Catalan giants will hope numerous first-team departures will balance the books and allow Messi to return for the 2021/22 season.

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Griezmann only joined Barcelona from Atletico Madrid in 2018 for a £107million (€120m) fee.

Marca claim no talks have taken place over a potential wage cut, considering the France international isn’t among the club’s highest earners.

The likes of Umtiti, Pjanic, Coutinho and Dembele are earning an excessive amount, though, which will partly explain why they are in the shop window.

Barcelona would most likely want Griezmann to stick around after paying such a big fee.

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Barcelona president Joan Laporte recently insisted that the club will honour Griezmann’s current contract but confirmed there is interest in his services.

He said: “[Griezmann] is a Barcelona player, he has a contract in force, and unless there are different circumstances then we have him [here].

“There have been movements in the market, but it is normal in the transfer market.

“We can’t deny that there has been interest in the player and that shows his quality.”

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Meanwhile, Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany says the club is ‘delighted’ with Griezmann but didn’t rule out offloading him this summer.

“[Griezmann] is a player who has his market, with clubs interested in him, and we are building the squad looking for a financial balance,” Alemany explained.

“We have no problem with Antoine. We are delighted with him. But if the market moves, we are open to all the proposals that are presented.

“We are in a delicate moment in which we have to find a balance with the financial fair play.

“That is why we must talk to all the players so that it does not harm them or, at least, it does for the shortest possible time.

“We are making these balances and we are open to all the options that can be given in the market, but none that would harm a competitive team.”

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