Is Griezmann the natural successor to Messi? Giroud explains how it's true

Antoine Griezmann may not be performing at his best, but Olivier Giroud is certain he is ‘the future of Barcelona’ once Lionel Messi leaves.

A year on from his €120m switch from Atletico Madrid, Griezmann’s time as a Barcelona player has been anything but eventful.

The 29-year-old has managed just 15 goals and four assists in his 51 appearances, and has fared no better this season. In fact, he’s yet to hit the back of the net in any of his three LaLiga games. Perhaps more troubling, though, his overall performances of late.

Last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Sevilla, for example, was another lackluster outing for Griezmann. He looked short of confidence and wasted a potential scoring opportunity provided by Ronald Araujo’s through ball.

But Giroud has risen to the defense of his France teammate and insisted the under-fire star is Barcelona’s future.

“It is clear that Antoine did not choose the easiest path when he signed with a huge club like Barcelona,” the Chelsea striker told RMC Sport.

“That was a huge step forward, can’t anyone deny that? I can understand that very well. But it is also logical that there are adjustment problems, especially if you are going to play together with a great person like Lionel Messi and you are in about the same position on the field.

“It may take a little longer than usual, but I am sure he will succeed there.

“I’m not worried about Antoine, because he has enough qualities. However, it is important to discover the magic formula. It is an enormous challenge, but Antoine can handle it all. He is the future of Barcelona because Messi won’t be around forever.”