Messi Griezmann GFXGetty/Goal

Messi and Griezmann need more time to build Barca relationship, admits Lenglet

Antoine Griezmann needs more time to build up a strong relationship with Lionel Messi at Barcelona, according to Clement Lenglet.

Griezmann completed a £107 million ($138m) move to Camp Nou from Atletico Madrid in the summer, bringing to an end one of the longest-running transfer sagas of 2019.

Much was expected of the World Cup winner upon his arrival at Barca, but he has so far struggled to stand out in a side brimming with world-class attacking talent.

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Messi remains Barca's talisman in the final third, with it being suggested that he has yet to warm to Greizmann's presence in Ernesto Valverde's starting line-up at the start of the season.

Lenglet has played down any possible bad blood between the pair, insisting Messi is "very open" with his teammates and that a rapport will "come in time".

“The same thing that happened to me is happening to Antoine. Dialogue comes little by little,” he told a press conference while on international duty with France.

“Messi has a strong nucleus around him, he gets on very well with Luis Suarez, but he is very open and contact will come with time.

“You can talk about a lot of things with Messi, not just football, he helps us every day.

“When we arrive at Barcelona, he notices the things that you do but he is not the type of guy to give us orders or reprimand us.”

Lionel Messi Antoine Griezmann Barcelona GranadaGetty

Lenglet went on to stress that supporters must exercise patience with Griezmann, who is still in the middle of a phase of adaptation in Catalunya.

“It is not easy to earn your place in a club like Barca because there are a lot of players that have as much experience as you," he added.

“Barca has a very particular style of play which Antoine is not accustomed to. He needs time to adapt to feel his best on the pitch.”

The French duo both played the full 90 minutes for their country in a 2-1 Euro 2020 qualifying win at home to Moldova on Thursday night.

Les Bleus are already safely through to next year's tournament, but will take in their final Group H fixture away at Albania on Sunday, with top spot still up for grabs.

Lenglet, Griezmann and Messi will then reunite at Camp Nou next week, with a La Liga trip to Leganes on the horizon on November 23.

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