Antoine Griezmann’s reported return to Atletico Madrid seems to be off as Barcelona and the new La Liga champions have failed to reach on an agreement for a swap deal including the Frenchman and Saul Niguez. However, with the Catalan club still looking to balance their wage structure, the World Cup winning forward could still be offloaded with several Premier League clubs interested in the 30-year-old. Pep Guardiola Contacts Antoine Griezmann Over Potential Move.

According to Sport, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have failed to reach on an agreement on the swap deal due to financial reasons. It is understood that the Catalans wanted an additional player with Saul Niguez or money as they value the Frenchman very highly and were adamant about not letting him leave for less. Lionel Messi Transfer Update: PSG End Pursuit To Sign Argentine Superstar.

However, Diego Simeone’s side wanted a straight swap deal as they were unable to afford the extra money asked by Barcelona. In addition, the new La Liga champions weren’t able to afford Griezmann’s wages even after a pay cut while Saul Niguez’s salary expectations were higher than what the Blaugarans anticipated. Due to these financial constraints, the deal seems to have stalled for the moment.

Antoine Griezmann was keen on a return to his former club but with the move hitting a  road-block, the Catalan giants still are hopeful of selling the Frenchman given their financial status as there is interest from Premier League clubs.

English clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester United are linked with the forwards with Italian giants Juventus also monitoring the forward’s situation. Barcelona aren't ruling anything out at the moment but it will be interesting to see if the Frenchman would be willing to join one of the aforementioned sides.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 20, 2021 10:02 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).