Lionel Messi and co 'give blessing' for Barcelona to complete £88.3m Antoine Griezmann signing

Barcelona dressing room have given their blessing for the La Liga giants to complete the €100m (£88.3m, $123.2m) signing of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid in the upcoming summer transfer window, according to Sport.

The Spanish publication adds that president Josep Maria Bartomeu has led the negotiations to secure his services in a deal which includes a clause for one of the parties to pay a compensation fee in case they decide to break the agreement.

Sport says that Griezmann will wear the number seven shirt and that Lionel Messi and co are ready to welcome him with open arms as they believe that the 26-year-old forward will be a "luxury" addition to boost their hopes of winning silverware in the future.

The report adds Samuel Umtiti is Griezmann's main ally at the Nou Camp with the defender singing his praises and is convinced that he would be fit like a glove at Ernesto Valverde's side.

Barcelona have already broken the bank in the last two transfer windows to fill the gap left by the departure of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain with the big money additions of Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho.

However, while the former Borussia Dortmund starlet and the ex-Liverpool ace are still familiarising themselves to Spanish football, Sport points out that the Barcelona dressing room believe that Griezmann would need no time to adapt knowing both the league and the language.

Furthermore, the report adds that his €100m release clause is seen like a transfer opportunity at the Nou Camp with the Catalans having paid in excess of that amount to sign both Dembele [£135m, The Guardian] and Coutinho [£142m, The Guardian].

Griezmann's potential arrival would give Valverde a major selection headache in attack but Sport says that Barcelona sees the Atletico ace as a long-term replacement for 31-year-old Luis Suarez.

In October, Mundo Deportivo reported that Valverde had identified Griezmann as his number one target ahead of the 2018-2019 campaign.

The Spanish publication later revealed that Barcelona president Bartomeu met with the Frenchman's family to discuss the proposed move.

Atletico decided to react to those reports by reporting Barcelona to Fifa for tapping up the France international.

However, it looks like that threat has not change the Catalans' plans with Sport now suggesting that the transfer is only a formality.

Diego Simeone's side won't be able to prevent his departure if Griezmann wants to leave and Barcelona trigger his €100m release clause.