That of Antoine Griezmann will be the first big decision that Mateu Alemany has to make as general director of Barça. About to turn 30, and despite the fact that the Frenchman does not have disastrous numbers (12 goals and 11 assists in 38 games), he does not finish certifying his crack status in high-level matches. He has not scored in any of the great games of the season (he was zero in the games against Juve, PSG, Madrid, Attético and Sevilla) and his decisive goals have been in the League against Athletic and in the Cup against Grenade. Too much, perhaps, to a 120 million euro player who wanted to eat at Cristiano and Messi's table.
So, two years after arriving, Griezmann's great decision will not be a documentary, but how to manage his future. Barça will put all its chips on the signing of Erling Haaland. Whether he succeeds or not, one of the conclusions he took from Paris is that he needs a striker for the great European days. Griezmann may be a collateral effect of that need.
Managing your departure, however, can be tricky. The player looks comfortable in the dressing room. And it's wanted in there. After the game in Paris, he wanted to leave a message. “We will return next year, I am at the service of the team for either ten or ninety minutes.” It makes explicit a will for continuity. Mateu Alemany will have to play the key well. For a long time, Griezmann was an obsession for Manchester United. Also for PSG. His wish, however, was to play for Barça, and he ended up fulfilling it. But his fit has not finished being round in the team. Nobody disputes his class or his effort, but neither is anyone fooled and everyone waited a little longer. That Griezmann was a real thunderclap and changed Barça's inertias. Just as De Jong has already exploded in his second year, Griezmann has not done so except for specific episodes. And that can mark your future.