Ernesto Valverde on Antoine Griezmann Barcelona Move: 'We Will See What Happens'

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has refused to discuss how Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann would fit into the team if he were to join the club this summer.

Griezmann confirmed on Tuesday that this season would be his last for Atletico, prompting a flurry of transfer speculation about where he could end up. Barcelona were strongly linked with the Frenchman last summer and have been tipped to make a move for him again.

Ahead of the Blaugrana's final game of the La Liga season against Eibar on Sunday, Valverde was asked about the links and how his team may look if Griezmann were to arrive, per Samuel Marsden of ESPN FC.

"If, in the end, he comes to Barcelona, we will see [where he fits in]," he said. "We're talking about a hypothetical situation. We will see what happens."

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While Valverde wouldn't be drawn on the possibility of a front line featuring Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Griezmann, he was also coy about the team's interest in the Atletico man and summer business as a whole:

"Griezmann is a player that is still at another club. He's a great player. I have always said that. But we don't talk about players at other clubs—are you going to ask the manager of every club if they're going to sign him? ...

"I don't know how many signings there will be in the transfer window. That's for the club to decide. I am part of that process but there are others who have their input. We have to build the best team possible.

"I am in contact with the sporting director and the technical director, but the season has not finished yet."

As OptaJoe noted, alongside Messi and Suarez, Griezmann has been one of the most consistent goalscorers in La Liga for a long time:

Spanish football journalist Andy West took a guess at how the Frenchman would slot into the XI next season along with incoming midfielder Frenkie de Jong from Ajax:

Griezmann's move to Barcelona feels a long way off being done, though. According to Ernest Folch of Sport on Saturday, the Blaugrana players are not sold on the idea of signing the forward, despite his pedigree in La Liga, because of his refusal to join the team last summer.

Valverde's side would definitely benefit from another option in attack. Too much emphasis is placed on Messi, and while Suarez has been exceptional for Barcelona, he is approaching the twilight years of his career at 32 years old.

In Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho, the Blaugrana have other options, but the former has suffered with injuries and the latter has failed to shine since moving from Liverpool:

Given Griezmann's quality, it'd be a shock if he didn't find a way to thrive at Barcelona should the move go through.