Playing with Messi at Barcelona will be 'an incredible joy', says Griezmann

New Barcelona striker Antoine Griezmann says that he is relishing the chance to train and play alongside Lionel Messi at the club, stating that it will be 'an incredible joy' to play alongside the Argentine. 

The France international and World Cup winner has brought the curtain down on his half-decade spell at Atletico Madrid with a €120 million (£108m,/$135m) move to Camp Nou to join the La Liga holders on a five-year deal.

Despite ongoing controversy swirling between the two clubs surrounding the exact cost of the 28-year-old's move, Griezmann has kept his focus squarely on the field for the most part and what he can bring to the table with the Blaugrana.

In particular, he singled out five-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi, widely considered the lynchpin of Ernesto Valverde's side, as the team-mate he is most excited to line up alongside.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what Messi's like on a day-to-day basis in training," Griezmann told Barcelona's official website. "Playing next to him is an incredible joy.

"I’m really looking forward to working with my new-team mates and with the boss, and playing at Camp Nou and hopefully winning a lot of things."

Though Griezmann has faced Barca several times over the years with firstly Real Sociedad and later Atletico, the forward has never been under any illusions over the magnitude of their role in global football and he further stressed his desire to help them grow.

"Barcelona is a big club and I hope to help it continue to be big or make it even bigger," he added.

"I’m very happy. I’m very excited and am looking forward to working with the squad and meeting my new team-mates.

"[It’s] a new challenge, new targets. [They’re] important things and I hope I can do as well as I can, as I have been doing for my club and country. I hope to look good."

Asked what silverware he hopes to deliver to the Catalan outfit, he responded: "All of them, La Liga, La Copa, the Champions League. They’re the club’s goals and my goals, and I hope to win them here.

"I like to have fun on the field and off it in the dressing room. I like to play with joy and I hope to bring a lot of joy to my team-mates and the fans, and hope we have fun together."

Griezmann is expected to be a member of Barcelona's travelling party as they prepare to head to Japan for a handful of pre-season fixtures, including a clash with Premier League rivals Chelsea.