Barcelona have ruled out continuing to advance in the Antoine Griezmann-Saul Niguez exchange, a new report from Spain has confirmed. The two La Liga giants were believed to be making headway in talks that would see the players switching sides but the moves have now hit a snag after it emerged that one party is adamant to fulfil certain terms.
In a bid to balance their books ahead of the 2021/2022 La Liga season, Barcelona are eager to offload forward Antoine Griezmann who joined the club in 2019 after the Catalans paid 120 million euro buyout clause. Since completing the move, the former Atletico man has generally fallen short of expectations, scoring just 35 goals in 99 appearances. Last week, it was reported that Barca were hoping to cut their losses by allowing the Frenchman to move back to the Wanda Metropolitano.
A swap deal was proposed with Saul Niguez having been tipped as the man to be used as makeweight by Atletico. Having fallen down the pecking order, the Spanish midfielder is believed to be interested in moving elsewhere for a new experience. However, on Monday, both Ara and Mundo Deportivo reported that Barca have pulled the plug on the potential transfer after deciding "it's not a good move.
Atléti president Cerezo about Griezmann-Saúl: "In the world of football anything is possible. No one knows what the outcome of these negotiations will be".
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 19, 2021
"Griezmann back? If that happens, it will be a pleasant surprise... you will soon know something", told Deportes Cuatro.
The reports indicated that Barca wanted more than just Saul in return for Griezmann, as they believe that the player's level has significantly dropped in recent months. Also, the wages of the both players has also appeared to be an obstacle to in the discussions. At the moment, Atletico cannot afford the salary of Griezmann whereas Saul is also against taking a pay-cut in order to join the Catalan giants.
