"Barca settled on Griezmann as an objective for 2018 and they spoke with his entourage to see if he was willing to wear the blue and red shirt," reported Barcelona-based Mundo Deportivo. "After receiving a 'yes' in response, an agreement was reached with the French goalscorer involving Pep Segura, Barca's general manager, and Robert Fernandez, the director of football. "President Josep Maria Bartomeu has now entered to finalise the operation." the newspaper reported adding that "Bartomeu met recently with Griezmann's family to eat in Barcelona." Griezmann, 26, agreed to sign a new contract with Atletico in June after the club had an appeal against a transfer ban rejected. The top scorer at Euro 2016, Griezmann said it would have been "dirty" to walk out on the club when they couldn't replace him until January.Barcelona president meets the family of Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann to finalise £88m move https://t.co/SJwQnMVYVb pic.twitter.com/lzwwCpVOx9
— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) December 17, 2017
However, Atletico coach Diego Simeone accepted this week that Griezmann's departure is inevitable. Many of Atletico's other outstanding players, including strikers Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero, Radamel Falcao and Diego Costa, have also left in recent years for pastures new. "Of course Griezmann will be able to leave at some point, as Diego Costa, Diego Ribas and Arda Turan have gone," Simeone told French sports daily L'Equipe. "If a player comes to me and says, 'coach, I have a chance of a lifetime and want to leave', and if he's left everything on the pitch for me like Griezmann, I'll say, 'no problem'."United fear Antoine Griezmann will now move to Barcelona instead of them next summer
— Indy Football (@IndyFootball) December 12, 2017
✍️? @MiguelDelaney has the details https://t.co/TDEv34Btez #mufc pic.twitter.com/neR8bJ5nuG
Atletico are also likely to come under financial pressure to sell after moving into a new 310-million euro stadium in September and falling to make it into the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in five years. The club have also already committed to nearly 100 million euros in transfers for January with Costa returning from Chelsea and Spanish international Vitolo joining from Sevilla.#MUFC keen to sell Mkhitaryan and sign Ozil, #CFC to land Monaco ace, Barcelona win Griezmann race and MORE!
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) December 15, 2017
FRIDAY GOSSIP: https://t.co/fD5WDeNUMV pic.twitter.com/1PcVu4SmGu
Hablamos con @Alfremartinezz de la posibilidad de que haya pasillo en el Clásico y de la portada de @mundodeportivo: "Cumbre por Griezmann" pic.twitter.com/qW59NL1MjS
— El Transistor (@ElTransistorOC) December 17, 2017