IN SPORT.ES
Diego Simeone needs Antoine Griezmann. Any team would need a player as good as the French forward. Atletico Madrid know, though, that it ould be his last season with the club.
Griezmann flirted with a departure last summer but Atletico's transfer ban meant he took a step back and decided to stay. However, his future is likely to be away from Simeone's side.
In an interview with L'Equipe, the Argentine coach opened the door for Griezmann to leave and thanked him for the performances he's given Atletico.
"Of course he could leave at any moment, just like Diego Costa and Arda Turan in their day," Simeone said. "I'm not ungrateful."
And Griezmann's next destination could be Barcelona, as many publications have suggested in the last few days.
Simeone added: "I love seeing my players grow and if one of them comes to me and says they have a unique opportunity to play for another team...
"If they had done everything they could have done for me, as Griezmann has done, I would say it's no problem. I know that they need to grow."
Maybe it's a decision which was agreed between the coach and the forward last summer when the player wanted to leave but Atletico could not make any signings.
Now, with the ban lifted, Atletico will reward Griezmann by letting him leave if the right move comes up for him... We will see if that opportunity lies at Camp Nou.