Barcelona forward, Lionel Messi has debunked reports credited to him that he never wanted Antoine Griezmann to join the team during the summer transfer window.
The World Best Player made this known on Wednesday in a chat with Per The Spanish Football Podcast, where he revealed that he was excited to have Griezmann as a teammate.
Griezmann joined Barcelona from Atletico Madrid in the summer after the team met his release clause of £107m.
Griezmann has scored three times in seven LaLiga appearances but struggled to hit the heights that made him one of the most sought-after players in the world while at Atletico Madrid.
About his controversial statements on sports planning, Leo Messi softened his statement: “Obviously it is a lie that I did not want Griezmann. Last year, I said he was one of the best and the best are always welcome. I also wanted Neymar to come for the same reason, because he is different—one of the best, and to have him here would have been important for our goals.
“But with Neymar we had to look beyond sports, many parties did not want him to come [due to] everything that had happened.”
