Furious Atletico Madrid are ready to sell Antoine Griezmann to Manchester United after a massive fallout with Barcelona.
The Madrid club have lodged an official complaint with FIFA over the tapping-up of their biggest name after Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu met the Griezmann family to discuss a transfer.
And Luis Suarez added fuel to the fire this week by claiming the France international and Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho would be welcomed at the Nou Camp.
Griezmann flirted with Manchester United last summer and claimed there was a “six out of 10” chance he would move to Old Trafford before signing a new deal.
He is under contract at Atletico until 2022 with a €100m (£88m) buyout clause.
Barcelona have since launched a concerted campaign to woo the Frenchman while Real Madrid – and Zinedine Zidane – remain big admirers.
But Atletico would prefer to sell Griezmann abroad in the summer and Manchester United can offer Paul Pogba as a team-mate. Griezmann is also a huge David Beckham fan.
An Atletico statement statement said: “Atletico Madrid have presented a complaint about Barcelona for repeated contact between Barcelona, the player and his people.
“Griezmann has a long contract and this cannot be permitted, while the club also considers it could affect the competition [La Liga] in which Barcelona are currently top and Atletico are second.”
Barcelona were issued with a one-year transfer ban for signing under-age players by FIFA in 2014.
Speaking on Spanish radio this week, Suarez said: “Both Griezmann and Coutinho are elite players that are playing at the top level. They are where they are for a reason.
“They’re both young and have long careers ahead of them. And Barca always want the best players.
“If you look at (Greizmann), at Atletico he needs to play with a No.9. He’s not a fixed no.9. Obviously, Griezmann would come here to add to the team and to help the side in the position that the coach wants him to play in.”