Looking forward to seeing what's Messi like, says Antoine Griezmann

Spanish football club FC Barcelona's newest signee Antione Griezmann on Sunday said he's looking forward to seeing what Argentine Lionel Messi is like on a day to day basis in training.

Spanish football club FC Barcelona's newest signee Antione Griezmann on Sunday said he's looking forward to seeing what Argentine Lionel Messi is like on a day to day basis in training. "I am looking forward to seeing what Messi's like on a day-to-day basis in training. I am really looking forward to working with my new teammates and with the boss, and playing at Camp Nou and hopefully winning a lot of things," Barcelona's official website quoted Griezmann as saying.

Barcelona on Friday had confirmed the signing of Griezmann from Atletico de Madrid. The player would be representing the club for the next five years. The centre-forward said that he is pretty excited to represent Barcelona for the next five years. "Barcelona is a big club and I hope to help it continue to be big or make it even bigger. I'm very happy. I'm very excited and am looking forward to working with the squad and meeting my new team-mates," Griezmann said.

"It's a new challenge, new targets. They're important things and I hope I can do as well as I can, as I have been doing for my club and country. I hope to look good," he added. As soon as Griezmann was signed by Barcelona, his former club Atletico de Madrid had released a statement saying that the deposited amount is insufficient to cover his buyout clause.

"Antoine Griezmann, represented by his lawyer, has appeared at the headquarters of the professional football league to unilaterally terminate the contract that links the player with Atletico de Madrid, with Futbol Club Barcelona having deposited the sum of 120 million euros in the name and on behalf of the footballer," Atletico de Madrid had said in a statement. "Atletico de Madrid considers that the deposited amount is insufficient to cover his buyout clause, since it is obvious that the agreement between the player and FC Barcelona was closed before the clause was reduced from EUR 200 million to EUR 120 million. It was also prior to the date on which the clause was modified the communication that the player made on 14 May announcing his disassociation from the club," the statement added.

Atletico de Madrid concluded their statement saying that they have already initiated the procedures it has deemed appropriate to protect their rights and lawful interests. "Atletico de Madrid believes that the termination of the contract happened before the end of the last season due to facts, acts, and demonstrations made by the player and therefore has already initiated the procedures it has deemed appropriate to protect their rights and lawful interests," the club said. (ANI)

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