€120m star keen on Messi Barcelona reunion in MLS
Tom Weber
- Updated: 17 Aug 2023 17:13 BST
- 3 min read
Antoine Griezmann is keen to reunite with former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi in Major League Soccer.
Barcelona once paid €120 million to land the Frenchman, but he failed to live up to the price tag, unsurprisingly. Now back at Atletico Madrid, the 32-year-old has found recaptured some of the form that once made him one of Europe's hottest commodities, coming off a 15-goal, 17-assist season.
Griezmann has made no secret of the fact that he is fond of American sports and that he would be open to moving to MLS. Seeing Lionel Messi's exploits at Inter Miami - though the Argentine hasn't even played a single minute of MLS football yet - the Atleti attacker once again reiterated his desire to make the switch to the United States.
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Speaking at a media event organised by LaLiga, Griezmann also heaped praise on his former Barcelona teammate.
What did Griezmann say?
"Leo Messi is one of the best players in history," the Frenchman said. "Since he's been in the United States he's winning games, they're in the [Leagues Cup] final against Nashville."
"He's an incredible player, and I think the best thing that MLS has done is sign Leo - not only for advertising but for the quality of the league. He can be the face of soccer in the United States."
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"I've always said," Griezmann continued, "that my objective will be to end my career there. I like American sports and I'd like to play in MLS, and to enjoy playing there. But first of all, I'd like to make history and win titles with Atletico."
This move is not yet on the horizon for him, however. Griezmann first wants to become Atleti's all-time top scorer. "We obviously want to win in LaLiga, we want to fight for the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. Personally, I want to score the 17 goals that would make me the top scorer in Atletico's history, which really excites me."
