Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has denied ever speaking with Antoine Griezmann about a summer switch to the Camp Nou, insisting "there is nothing" to reports linking the French star with the Spanish giants.
Griezmann announced his intention at the end of the 2018-19 campaign to leave Atletico Madrid after five seasons at the club, with Standard Sport reporting in May that Barcelona were confident of landing the World Cup winner after missing out on signing him last summer.
Indeed, the deal appeared to be progressing smoothly after Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said talks between the club and Griezmann were ongoing and after Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin said he had known since March about the transfer being set to take place.
But in comments that seem to suggest that Barca's interest in Griezmann has cooled, club president Bartomeu has claimed that no talks between the two parties have ever taken place.
Speaking to RAC1, he said: "We've always said it, we've never spoken to him, there's nothing.
"We're already seeing how the market is growing these days and weeks."
On Barca's summer transfer plans, he added: "We're going through a slow and secure process.
"We have all of June, July and August. We're in talks and carrying out a strategy, we're also looking at Barcelona B - some players have the possibility to move up into the senior team this year."There will be departures and some arrivals."
