Man City targeting Barcelona man as possible Harry Kane alternative – originally posted on Sportslens.com
Manchester City are looking at Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann as a possible alternative to Harry Kane, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.
Griezmann joined Barcelona for a nine-figure sum back in 2019 from La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid. Since then, he has shown flashes of brilliance, but has fallen well short of living up to his price tag, scoring 35 goals in 99 appearances in all competitions.
Nonetheless, there is no denying his huge talent. Throughout his years at Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid, the 30-year-old established himself as one of the finest players in the world, hitting over 200 goals in all competitions from 2009 to 2019.
His spell at the Camp Nou could be about to come to an end, with Mundo Deportivo claiming that Man City could be interested in his signature.
The Premier League champions are in the hunt for a new striker this summer, following the departure of club record goalscorer Sergio Aguero. Golden Boot winner Harry Kane is reportedly the number one target, but negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur don’t seem to have made much progress.
They played most of last season without a recognised striker, and instead opted to utilise the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva in the false nine role. A player like Griezmann could be perfect for this role.
However, given his age and uninspiring form over the last two years, the Cityzens may be better off looking for a different option.
The Frenchman could be available on the cheap this summer, with Barcelona desperate to get players off the wage bill. La Blaugrana apparently need to slash their annual salary by €200m in order to meet La Liga’s salary cap rules, or else they won’t be able to register new arrivals Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay, or Eric Garcia. Meanwhile, star man Lionel Messi remains out of contract.
Junior Firpo, Konrad de la Fuente, and Jean Clair Todibo have already been offloaded, while the club are desperately searching for anyone who will take Miralem Pjanic and Samuel Umtiti off their hands. It is believed that Griezmann could be one of the next ones on the chopping block.
Read also: Everton reportedly told to pay £21 million for Philippe Coutinho
Go to Source
Author:charliestewart