Barcelona Transfer News: Blaugrana Interested in Antoine Griezmann

Barcelona will reportedly launch a move to sign Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann as a replacement for Neymar in the event he leaves the Camp Nou this summer.

Spanish newspaper Marca reported Barca fancy Griezmann is fancied by due to the fact his release clause is valued at a "closed price" of €100 million (£89.5 million), which is looking like better and better value in today's market.

Neymar has been fiercely linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain in recent weeks, per Marca, and it's believed alternative targets such as Juventus' Paulo Dybala and Liverpool ace Philippe Coutinho could prove more costly.

ESPN FC's Adriana Garcia reported in June that Griezmann signed a new contract at Atletico, running until 2022, after agreeing to remain at the club this summer while they are banned from registering any new players.

As mentioned by Garcia, Manchester United were reportedly close to agreeing a deal to sign Griezmann prior to his U-turn, which was a gesture of his loyalty to Los Rojiblancos due to the fact they would be unable to sign a replacement.

It may, therefore, be difficult to imagine the France international would have such a sudden change of heart, although the temptation to remain in Spain with the Blaugrana may provide a different temptation.

Agence France-Presse's Madrid-based reporter Kieran Canning argued being hit with a transfer suspension had even functioned as a boon for manager Diego Simeone's side thanks to keeping hold of the forward:

But any push for the Frenchman rests on Neymar and where his future lies. Matthew Smith and Pete Jenson of MailOnline recently reported the Brazilian stormed out of training following a bust-up with new team-mate Nelson Semedo, fuelling speculation all is not well at Barca.

Transfer rumours continue to speculate upon where Neymar—who has a €222 million (£196 million) release clause—could start next season, and Get French Football News cited Catalan source Mundo Deportivo with their most recent update:

Griezmann may well be seen as a replacement of extreme value in a window where transfer spending has hit new heights, and Romelu Lukaku's £75 million switch from Everton to Manchester United has topped the list thus far.

In retrospect, Barca may consider Griezmann's release clause to be a no-brainer, particularly if Neymar leaves for a nine-digit sum, but the question remains as to whether the French forward remains loyal to Atletico.