Neymar saga takes another shock twist as Barcelona consider using Antoine Griezmann as a makeweight

Barcelona are considering using Antoine Griezmann as a makeweight in their next offer for PSG forward Neymar.The Blaugrana spent much of the summer attempting to re-sign the Brazil international, but they ultimately fell short in their efforts as PSG stood firm.The Ligue 1 club were open to a sale but wanted to recoup the £198m they spent on the forward’s signature in 2017.Barcelona reportedly tried their luck with a player-plus-cash proposal involving Philippe Coutinho, but PSG refused to budge.However, they could be more receptive to an offer which includes Griezmann, a French World Cup winner who has never represented a club in his home country.According to Le 10 Sport, Barcelona are giving consideration to the idea of including the former Atletico Madrid forward as part of a package when they renew their interest in Neymar next summer.That would represent a remarkable turn of events given that Griezmann only moved to the Camp Nou from Atletico this summer.The La Liga champions acquired the Frenchman for £108m, and the left-footed attacker has begun the campaign with three goals and two assists in seven top-flight outings.Nevertheless, questions have been raised about Griezmann’s ability to thrive as part of a front three alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.Having previously been used in a central role by Diego Simeone at Atletico, the 28-year-old has largely been deployed on the left flank during his first two months as a Barcelona player.That is not a natural position for Griezmann, with Neymar much more comfortable in that area of the pitch.However, the situation could change before next summer, and Griezmann would presumably be unhappy to leave Barcelona after just a single season at the club.Ernesto Valverde’s side return to La Liga action when they take on Getafe on Sunday.READ MOREThe Premier League's use of VAR prevents it from providing what it can do best: consistencyThe Ferguson legacy: is Steve Bruce the best manager the Manchester United legend ever produced?David Luiz, the constant enigma – how the mercurial defensive talent defines Unai Emery's Arsenal