Barcelona will offer Griezmann to Chelsea to help fund Messi’s contract

Antoine Griezmann will be offered to Chelsea as part of crisis club Barcelona’s desperate attempts to re-sign Lionel Messi.

The debt-ridden Spanish giants are being forced to cut costs this summer so they can afford Messi’s new contract.

And France World Cup winner Griezmann is expected to be the biggest casualty as Barca clear the decks.

Messi wants to stay at the Nou Camp but cannot sign his newly agreed deal under strict La Liga salary cap rules.

Barcelona have already signed Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia, Emerson Royal and Memphis Depay this summer.

But it is understood they may not even be able to register them until their financial mess is fixed.

So club chiefs have decided to put Griezmann on the market – and Chelsea are one of the clubs being kept informed of developments.

Paris St-Germain have also long admired the 30-year-old, who cost £107m when Barca bought him from Atletico Madrid in 2019, and could make a push for him.

When he joined Barcelona, they inserted a buyout clause in his contract worth a staggering £683m, but he could be available for a fraction of that now.

And representatives of the player are expected in London in the next few days to gauge interest from a number of Premier League clubs, including Chelsea.

Manchester City will also be sounded out but they are currently pressing ahead with attempts to sign Harry Kane and Jack Grealish.

Chelsea’s priority is signing a striker, and boss Thomas Tuchel also wants reinforcements in defence and midfield.

But Griezmann had 20 goals and 13 assists in 51 games for Barcelona last season and would bring huge experience to the Stamford Bridge dressing room.

Tuchel wants to sign a marquee name up front but there are fears the likes of Erling Haaland and Romelu Lukaku will not be available this summer.

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