Dispute between clubs settled
“We haven’t met with Barcelona yet and we don’t intend to,” Enrique Cerezo, president of Atlético Madrid, said in mid-September about the dispute with FC Barcelona over the loaned striker Antoine Griezmann. At this point in time, reports had already come to an approaching agreement between the clubs, which was intended to prevent a legal dispute over the obligation to buy in the 31-year-old’s loan agreement. In the meantime, the Catalans have confirmed an agreement, called numbers and were satisfied. However, it is unlikely that Barça will still get the amount once hoped for.
Coach Xavi said at a press conference over the weekend that an agreement had been reached, according to which Atlético should be satisfied with the performance of the loanee and wished the player only the best. Later, President Joan Laporta went into detail, confirming, according to “mark“ A transfer fee of 20 million euros, which corresponds to just half of the purchase obligation negotiated in 2021.
Only 4 million euros could be added as bonuses if Atlético qualified for the Champions League and made it into the knockout phase. However, Laporta added that if the “Colchoneros” resell Griezmann, Barça would have to be involved with a sum that would complete the originally negotiated €40m.
Griezmann is said to be ready to reduce his salary to €8m net, according to previous reports. And the salary issue is also the aspect of the deal that makes those responsible in Barcelona speak of a good deal. The FCB itself had only paid 120 million euros for the attacker to Atlético three years ago, but with the fixed transfer they can cancel Griezmann’s outstanding salary of 36 million euros until the end of the contract, which would have presented the club with difficulties if the player returned . Now you can plan with a fee instead, albeit with an apparently small one.
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Atlético avoids Griezmann’s obligation to buy: “Acceptable conditions”
The newspaper “El Mundo” recently published in its “Barça Leaks” that Griezmann had agreed on a salary of 100 million euros net over the next five years when he was extended at Atlético in 2018, a year before moving to the Catalans . In Barcelona he then signed for less, 177 million euros gross, until 2024. Now Griezmann should get a contract with Atlético until 2026 or 2027. With the salary reduction, he would come up to 40 million euros net with a five-year contract. Atlético pays a significantly lower salary than planned four years ago and, including the loan fee, transfers EUR 90 million less than it received from Barça in 2019.
“Acceptable conditions, especially since he seems to be one of the few who really wants to this season,” writes user “ForzaAtleti88” appropriately in the club forum at Transfermarkt. “In a very comical manner, people shied away from the actual obligation to buy. You can think of what you want, I find it highly questionable. I hope that this only increases his motivation and that he finally gets lucky again.”
In order to avoid the obligation to buy for 40 million euros, Atlético had used Griezmann mainly as a joker this season. The clause would have applied if the attacker had played at least 45 minutes in 50 percent of the games during his two-year loan. In the first year, Griezmann fulfilled that condition, but the rival clubs have different views about the interpretation for the second season, which is why there was even a threat of going to court.
The only games Griezmann played for more than 90 minutes before the deal were the 2-0 defeat by Brugge in the Champions League and the 2-1 city derby against Real Madrid on September 18. Otherwise, coach Diego Simeone never relied on his star striker for more than 29 minutes. Griezmann himself is said to have been very dissatisfied with this recently, but wants to keep a low profile until the clubs reach an agreement. On Saturday in the 2-1 win against Girona, Griezmann was back on the field from the start when the clubs had probably clarified everything.
Note: The first version of this article was published on October 5th, 2022 and has been updated several times since the club officials confirmed it.
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