Rivaldo: Barca must reconsider Aubameyang and Griezmann stance

Brazil and Barcelona legend Rivaldo has urged his former club to reconsider their stance on selling Antoine Griezmann, as well as looking deeper into whether Arsenal’s Aubameyang is the right fit for the team.

The Catalan club are believed to be eyeing a potential move to sign the Gunners’ top scorer this summer, with the Gabon international set to enter the final 12 months of his contract.

The 30 year-old has previously stated that he promised his grandfather that he would play for Real Madrid, before stating it would be ‘a gift‘ to his mother to play for any big Spanish side.

Barca could well be keen to make that opportunity a reality, as a potential replacement for Antoine Griezmann in the side, but former superstar Rivaldo thinks the club should stick with the Frenchman.

The former Barca star said: “There are growing rumours about a potential Antoine Griezmann transfer to Internazionale in exchange for Lautaro Martínez or even a deal that could see the Frenchman go to PSG and Neymar come the other way.

“But I believe that Barca’s board will give Griezmann more time to make an impression at the club.

“In Italy, Griezmann would have more difficulties and I think his future is in La Liga where he is well-adapted and ready to show his best game regularly.

“Barcelona just needs to be a little more patient before he builds more confidence and starts playing with more personality.”

Rivaldo was then asked about his thoughts on the possible arrival of Arsenal striker Aubameyang in the coming window, in which he intimates that he doesn’t believe he would fit the playing style of manager Setien.

The Brazilian added: “Barcelona always looks for the best players available in the market and Aubameyang is obviously a great player who could be a boost for the club.

“But other than simply signing a player, Barcelona must study if a certain player will fit into their current system, or if a transfer could end up forcing the new player to play in a different role, harming his own performance and potentially causing the team problems as well.

“So, it’s crucial to analyse these factors carefully before making an offer to sign a player, as it isn’t just the taste of the president and board that should decide this kind of stuff.

“You need to understand if the manager would approve of it and will have a space for the player in his system.

“To fit on a new team’s system is crucial, so Barcelona must be aware of that all the time and ask: Would that player fit on Quique Setien’s system?”

Could Barcelona really overlook the opportunity to sign Aubameyang if he makes his intention to move to Spain clear? Would Arsenal fans consider Griezmann as part of the deal IF we had to part ways with Aubameyang(not that there is any talk of such a deal)?

Patrick

Tags Griezmann Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Rivaldo
Top Blog Sponsors