Griezmann: Playing with Messi will be incredible

Antoine Griezmann has said that playing next to Lionel Messi next season will be an “incredible joy”, after his unveiling at Barcelona.

The Frenchman, who completed his controversial move to the Nou Camp on Friday, has expressed his excitement at playing alongside the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what [Lionel] Messi is like on a day-to-day basis in training,” Griezmann said at his unveiling. “Playing next to him will be an incredible joy.

“I’m very happy, I’m very excited and I’m looking forward to working with the squad and meeting my new team-mates.

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“It’s a new challenge and new targets. These are important things and I hope I can do as well as I can.

“All of them – La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League. They’re the club’s goals and my goals.

“With Sam [Umtiti] and Ousmane [Dembele], I have a very good relationship with both of them. I look forward to seeing them.”

Barcelona released a statement on Friday afternoon claiming they had signed the 28-year-old after meeting his £108m buyout clause.

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But Atletico responded stating that the money paid was not enough, claiming that Griezmann had agreed to move to the Nou Camp before July 1, when his £180m release clause was slashed down to £108m.

The 2018 World Cup winner’s new contract at Barcelona will run until 2024, with a buyout clause of €800m.