Barcelona wants to announce Griezmann “within a fortnight”

Antoine Griezmann has been linked with FC Barcelona for quite some time, and according to latest reports, he is set to become a part of the club soon.

Various reports from Spanish media houses claim that Antoine Griezmann could be on his way to FC Barcelona. And now, according to AS, the Frenchman had an agreement with the Catalan club since November last year.

Griezmann’s last appearance for Atletico Madrid came in the Europa League final, as he scored a brace in 3-0 victory against Marseille.

The report from AS claims that Barca’s president, Josep Maria Bartomeu believes that there’s an agreement between Griezmann and Atletico Madrid. The agreement was made in November to ensure the relations between both the clubs don’t sour.

Barcelona, however, prefer to finalize the deal before the world cup begins. The club intends to announce Griezmann within a fortnight.

AS has also claimed that Philippe Coutinho was given number 14 because number 7 is reserved for Griezmann. Coutinho signed for Barcelona in January this year, in a deal worth 142m from Liverpool.

Also read: Barcelona set to bid 115m for Antoine Griezmann

Griezmann wears the 7-jersey with both, Atletico Madrid and French national football team as of now.

Griezmann had a highly successful domestic and European season. He registered 19 goals in La Liga, and 8 in the Europa League. The Frenchman netted the ball on 29 occasions in 48 games, and provided 15 assists in all competitions.

Atletico Madrid will finish 2^nd in La Liga this season, behind FC Barcelona, who have already won the league title.

Griezmann was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United last summer, but the deal didn’t come through.

The Frenchman’s arrival at FC Barcelona can hit some chances of comeback for Ousmane Dembele, who had a relatively tough season. There have also been reports that Barcelona may sell their ageing striker Luis Suarez if they procure the services of Antoine Griezmann.