Barcelona denies reports of alleged Griezmann deal

Barcelona released a statement Saturday to deny speculation over an alleged agreement to sign Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann.

Reports emerged in the Spanish press suggesting the Catalan side had reserved the No. 7 shirt for Griezmann. The conjecture spawned from previous reports linking Barcelona with a move for the 26-year-old, who is allegedly prepared to leave Atletico in the summer despite only recently signing a new long-term contract.

The Blaugrana moved swiftly to deny the reports, insisting such an agreement would not take place out of respect for their La Liga rival.

The statement reads as follows:

FC Barcelona strongly denies the information that has appeared over the course of the last few hours in different media regarding Atletico Madrid player, Antoine Griezmann, and an alleged deal with our club.

FC Barcelona expresses its objections in the face of these events and reiterates its full respect for the institution of Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona's reported interest in Griezmann comes in the wake of the club's lucrative transfer of Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool after the Premier League side accepted a club-record bid reportedly worth €160 million.