Lionel Messi: It Is a Lie That I Did Not Want Antoine Griezmann at Barcelona

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has said it is a "lie" that he didn't want Antoine Griezmann to join the club in the summer. 

Speculation about the France international moving to Barcelona was ongoing for a couple of years before Griezmann eventually moved to the Camp Nou ahead of this campaign. The Blaugrana eventually met the player's £107 million release clause at Atletico Madrid to get the deal over the line.

At the time, there were rumours that Messi wasn't keen on the signing of the forward, with Barcelona also linked with a move for former player Neymar. But the Argentina international has dismissed those suggestions, per RAC1 (h/t Dom Farrell of Goal):

"Obviously it is a lie that I did not want Griezmann. Last year, I said he was one of the best and the best are always welcome. I also wanted Neymar to come for the same reason, because he is different—one of the best, and to have him here would have been important for our goals.

"But with Ney we had to look beyond sports, many parties did not want him to come [due to] everything that had happened."

Messi has already denied there is a problem between the duo after Griezmann said it can be "difficult" to speak with his team-mate due to their introverted personalities.

On the field, it's not been straightforward for Griezmann in the early weeks of his Barcelona career. Per The Spanish Football Podcast, it was a surprise to see the forward not make it off the bench for Sunday's clash with Sevilla in La Liga:

There has also been some early talk about the ex-Atletico man leaving the club in the summer, with reports suggesting Barcelona would be willing to use him as a makeweight in a possible agreement with Paris Saint-Germain to sign Neymar.

However, Griezmann's Barcelona team-mate Clement Lenglet has praised the application shown by his compatriot so far in Blaugrana colours.

"He works a lot for the team," said Lenglet, per Joe Wright of Goal. "He used to play as second striker at Atletico and now he plays on one side. He helps us a lot with his talent and his defensive efforts in every game. He's sacrificing himself for the team. I don't think there is an 'Antoine Griezmann case' as you can try to make me say"

At Atletico, Griezmann was one of the best strikers in European football and following his sale, Diego Simeone's team are struggling in attack:

Griezmann has been playing on the wing for Barcelona, a position he's not been utilised in frequently since his time at Real Sociedad.

With Messi seemingly happy to have the forward around, the biggest challenge for manager Ernesto Valverde will be to find a way to get Griezmann firing in the current setup. With Ousmane Dembele suspended for Barcelona's clash with Eibar on October 19, the new signing will likely have a chance to force his way back into contention.