As Barcelona confirm Antoine Griezmann’s transfer, we shall look at the positions which he could occupy.
Barcelona have confirmed the capture of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid for a fee of €120 million. The former Los Rojiblancos’ attacker’s lawyer paid the whole release clause amount at the La Liga Headquarters today, enabling the forward to complete his move to Nou Camp this summer.
This has been a useful summer for Barcelona – having landed Frenkie De Jong and Antoine Griezmann. They have been tipped to sign Neymar, but the Brazilian is mostly likely to stay in Paris. With the money not on their side, this could mark the end of Barcelona’s business in this window.
There has been plenty of talks about Antoine Griezmann’s preferred position. The French International was the second striker for Diego Simeone, alongside Mario Mandzukic and Diego Costa, over the few years at Wanda Metropolitano. With Suarez, Messi, Dembele, and Coutinho already in the forward department, we look at the positions which Griezmann could occupy.
4-3-3
Rarely does Ernesto Valverde change his formation. The Spaniard has a track record of utilizing 4-3-3 throughout his stint at Nou Camp. There is no dubiety over Lionel Messi’s position through the right-wing, but positionally, he could fill Luis Suarez’s position or play through the left-wing.
Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele have failed to hit the expected heights at Barcelona. In order to balance the books, one of those two will be told to leave the club. On the other hand, Valverde is likely to stick with Luis Suarez, who has slowed down in recent times, but the Uruguayan is still a fox inside the box. This would see Antoine Griezmann play through the left-wing, although his position is yet to be determined.
4-3-1-2
If Barcelona can utilize a formation to player’s full strength, Valderde must be pondering about 4-3-1-2. Unlike the previous setup, this is a completely different formation which gives a totally new dimension to the side.
The defence and midfield will remain untouched. But, there is a small alteration in the frontline with the formation, not the players. Lionel Messi likes to carry the ball from the middle of the park. He can be used as the attacking midfielder or false nine to get the best out of Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.
In that setup, Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez could play as strikers, whereas, Lionel Messi could act as the supplier behind them.
4-2-2
This particular formation is very offensive which could disrupt the defensive rhythm of the team. But, Valverde could opt for this option because of the world-class resources in the forward department. With Sergio Busquets and Frenkie De Jong in the middle, the two defensive-minded midfielders will provide the solidity for the backline and enable the forward with more freedom.
In the front four, attacking midfielders including Ousmane Dembele and Lionel Messi have the capability to stretch the opponent’s backline. Additionally, these two players have a devastating contribution to the final third too. Luis Suarez will operate upfront, with Antoine Griezmann in the familiar second striker role.
