Liverpool are reportedly open to the possibility of allowing Sadio Mane to join Barcelona in exchange for 2018 World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann.
According to a report from Spanish publication Diario Gol, Premier League champions Liverpool are interested in Barcelona superstar Antoine Griezmann and would consider the possibility of working out a swap deal that would see Sadio Mane move the other way.
Griezmann moved to Barcelona in the summer of 2019 in a mega-money deal from rivals Atletico Madrid. However, the Frenchman endured a difficult debut campaign in Catalonia. He did not have the best of starts to the 2020/21 season either, but has impressed of late, most recently scoring a brace against Granada on Saturday.
However, Griezmann is believed to be not entirely happy at Camp Nou as he does not feel like an important player under new manager Ronald Koeman. Should his situation not change, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner would seek an exit at the end of the season, with Liverpool touted as a potential destination, considering that the Reds were linked with him this past summer.
But, the reigning Premier League champions would not be able fund the transfer because of the difficult financial situation due to the coronavirus pandemic. In that situation, the Reds would be open to considering a swap deal, and Mane is an option that Barcelona would consider taking in, as per the report.
Mane has been with Liverpool since 2016, having arrived from Southampton and has grown into one of the most prolific forwards in the Premier League. The Senegalese speedster helped Liverpool win the UEFA Champions League as well as the Premier League over the past couple of seasons and is an integral member of the Reds team.
However, the aforementioned report bizarrely claims that Mane is not on good terms with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and would consider a new challenge in his career, having won the lot at Anfield. It is also reported that the Reds’ boss himself would be open to letting the 28-year-old leave and replace him with a player who is hungrier and more motivated.
Griezmann has previously spoken of his admiration for Liverpool. But, it is hard to imagine that the Reds would be willing to trade Mane, who has been in much superior form over the past couple of years, to bring in the Barcelona man, who also happens to be a year older than the Reds’ speedster.
