Antoine Griezmann admits he turned down Barcelona because he didn’t want to be in Lionel Messi’s ‘shadow’

The France international came close to leaving Atletico Madrid in the summer

Antoine Griezmann has said that he turned down a move to Barcelona because he did not like the thought of being “Lionel Messi’s lieutenant”.

The France international came close to leaving Atletico Madrid in the summer, with Barcelona among a number of clubs interested in signing him.

Griezmann eventually announced that he would be staying put in Madrid – with Messi playing a key role in his decision.

“Was it hard to refuse Barca? It was very difficult,” he told French TV station Canal+.

“You have Barca who wants you, who calls you, who sends messages.

“But then there is the club where you are, where you are an important player and where they build a project around you.

“[And] subconsciously, being Messi's lieutenant may have played a part.

“But my team-mates and people at the club [Atleti] did everything, they came to talk to me, they increased my salary.

“They did everything to show that it was my home and that I shouldn't leave. It was really complicated times, especially for my wife where I woke her up at 3am to talk about it!”

Griezmann has made a relatively slow start to the new season, scoring three times in 11 La Liga games for Atletico, who currently sit third in the table.