Despite reports by the Spanish press regarding problems inside Barcelona's locker room due to Antoine Griezmann's potential transfer, it seems that the French star's move to Catalunya is almost sealed.
Reports by Catalan-based newspaper Sport suggest that Griezmann is set to join Barcelona this summer on a five-year deal. Les Bleus' ace will now become Barça's second best-paid player, as reports state that Griezmann will now earn a basic salary of €15M (around $17.6M) plus bonuses with Los Blaugranas, which is the reason why the Spanish press reported that some players such as Luis Suarez were ready to leave the club.
Nevertheless, money was not the main reason behind Griezmann's decision to join the La Liga champions, as a phone call by Lionel Messi himself allegedly convinced the Frenchman to sign the contract.
Sport's article suggests that Messi told Griezmann about how the team was waiting for his arrival "with open arms". These words were supported by Messi's statements after La Liga came to an end yesterday, with "La Pulga" praising Atlético's ace.
"It's obvious that I like him. He's one of the best players right now, and we're delighted that the best come and Griezmann is one of them," Messi stated.
Barcelona is expected to trigger Griezmann's €100M ($120million) buyout clause on July 1. The report also suggests that Los Blaugranas' board is ready to pay a little extra in order to ease the tensions built up by the team's attempts to sign Griezmann while under contract.
