Barcelona Transfer News: Lionel Messi Reportedly Calls Antoine Griezmann

Barcelona have reportedly made another controversial move that will anger Atletico Madrid, with Spanish press reporting Lionel Messi has called Antoine Griezmann to convince him to join the Catalans.

Javier G. Matallanas of Madrid-based newspaper AS reported Messi rang Griezmann to convince him not to sign a new deal with Atletico that would increase his wages to more than Barcelona would offer.

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Such a phone call would be a clear violation of tampering regulations, something the Rojiblancos openly complained about earlier in May in an explosive statement on their official website:

"We're fed up with Barcelona's attitude. That a president, player and a board member speak the way they've done about the future of a player with an existing contract and just a few days before disputing a European final, is an absolute lack of respect towards Atlético Madrid and its fans.

"Atletico de Madrid's stance is very clear and has been made public on numerous occasions. Not once have we negotiated for Griezmann nor do we have any intention to do so. A few months ago, I personally expressed to Barcelona's president that our player isn't for sale nor are we going to sell him.

"At the same time, I let him know that his inappropriate conduct was against the integrity of the competition, especially since we've been competing for the league title throughout the season and Barcelona have been continuously pressuring one of the most relevant players from our squad."

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Matallanas also touched on Real Madrid's interest in the France international, stating Cristiano Ronaldo has told club president Florentino Perez he wants to see both Griezmann and Jan Oblak make the move from Atletico to Los Blancos.

Sport's Albert Masnou also put out a report on Sunday, stating Griezmann will earn €15 million per year in Catalonia, putting him ahead of every player bar Messi. He'll reportedly sign a five-year deal.

Griezmann has been linked with Barcelona since last summer, and the Blaugrana have made no secret of their desire to add the former Real Sociedad man in recent months.

His contract contains a buyout clause of €200 million (£175 million), but that fee will drop to just €100 million (£87.5 million) on July 1. That gives Atletico a small window in which to agree to a new contract with Griezmann and perhaps push his buyout clause higher once again.

The 27-year-old enjoyed another fine season for Atletico, culminating in a UEFA Europa League triumph―his first major trophy with the Rojiblancos. Unsurprisingly, he was ecstatic:

Now could be the perfect time to part ways with Atletico, even if his fit with Barcelona seems questionable at best. The Blaugrana already have a ton of attacking options, especially in the central areas, and Griezmann has never been at his best when he's been forced out wide.

These latest reports won't improve the relationship between the two clubs, and negotiations ahead of the July 1 deadline―as Matallanas suggested there would be―seem unlikely. The Catalans could attempt to speed things up to beat rivals Real in the chase, but it's hard to see Atletico joining them at the table after everything that has happened.

The FIFA World Cup could further complicate matters―especially if Griezmann suffers an injury before his contract can be bought out for €100 million.