Valverde tips Griezmann to make easy adjustment to Messi and Suarez

Antoine Griezmann's quality will help him gel quickly with Barcelona's other star forwards, according to Ernesto Valverde.

Published : Jul 27, 2019 22:19 IST

Antoine Griezmann joined Barcelona from Atletico Madrid for €120 million this month.
Antoine Griezmann joined Barcelona from Atletico Madrid for €120 million this month.
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Antoine Griezmann joined Barcelona from Atletico Madrid for €120 million this month.

Ernesto Valverde expects Antoine Griezmann to comfortably settle in alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez when the trio unite in Barcelona's starting XI.

New signing Griezmann made his second Barca appearance in Saturday's routine 2-0 friendly victory over Vissel Kobe in Japan.

La Liga's champion now travels back to Spain to link up with Messi and Suarez following the pair's extended break in the aftermath of the Copa America.

READ | Barcelona new boy Griezmann proud of Messi praise

It could form a front three with Griezmann for the first time in the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Arsenal on August 4 and Valverde believes the partnership will have no trouble blossoming.

"The good players always understand things easily," Valverde told reporters when asked about the France international.

"We'll see later on how well he links up with others. We have a lot of hope with him that it will work. He moves quickly and finds space really well. He's a player we needed."

Griezmann joined from Atletico Madrid for €120 million this month and will be part of the full first-team squad that is due to travel to the United States following the Arsenal encounter.

Barca is building towards a crucial season under head coach Valverde, who faces heavy criticism for failing to prevent the second-leg implosion against Liverpool in last season's Champions League semifinals.

Griezmann, however, is paying little thought to the club's European ambitions as he focuses on becoming accustomed to a new set of minimum expectations.

ALSO READ | Barca boardroom shake-up continues as Segura departs

"We're talking about the Champions League because we haven't won it but La Liga is also a really difficult competition to win," the World Cup winner told Spanish publication Sport .

"I've been playing in La Liga since I was 18 and I haven't won it. It's really tough. It looks easy because Barca win year after year but it's really difficult."

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