FC Barcelona: Lower fee for Griezmann? Atlético Madrid denied

According to L’Équipe, Barça gave in

In the transfer hiccup between FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid around Antoine Griezmann, there is apparently a solution that everyone involved can live with. As the Daily sports newspaper “L’Équipe” reports that the two top Spanish clubs are said to be on the verge of an agreement – which would end the Rojiblancos’ part-time work for the 31-year-old attacker and prevent him from going to court. Problem: nobody in the capital wants to know anything about that.

Atético’s President Enrique Cerezo denied an allegedly imminent agreement on Tuesday. “We haven’t met with Barcelona yet and we don’t intend to. Griezmann’s story is pretty clear,” explained the 74-year-old (quoted via Fabrizio Romano) on Tuesday to media representatives. “We are at the same point at the moment, nothing has changed with Griezmann at FCB – just like at the beginning of the season.”

The loan agreement negotiated in 2021 stipulates that Griezmann must be firmly committed by Atlético for 40 million euros if he is used in 50 percent of the games for at least 45 minutes. Griezmann met that condition in the first year, but the rival clubs have different views on the design for the second season. A reduction in the fee should actually remedy the situation and resolve the conflict.

According to the report, Atlético, which is financially ailing like Barcelona, ​​pushed for a significant reduction in the purchase option that was becoming mandatory this summer. And the efforts of the Madrilenians seem to have been crowned with success on Griezmann’s initiative if the report is to be believed: the clubs are expected to meet at €25m, they say. There is hope for the Catalans that the talks can be concluded in the upcoming international break. In this case, the French world champion of 2018, who is said to be increasingly annoyed by the precarious situation for him, could be used again from the start.

Griezmann definitely wants to move from FC Barcelona to Atlético Madrid

The veteran was worried because a “cat-and-mouse game” had developed between his loan club and his home club, with both only communicating through the player’s lawyer, Sevan Karian. He is now trying to achieve a positive result for the benefit of his client. According to “L’Équipe”, a meeting of the Griezmann side is planned in Barcelona these days, after an exchange with Atlético. The hope for a good and, above all, timely end is omnipresent, after both clubs initially did not want to take any steps towards each other. Then the Barça bosses are said to have first signaled that they could imagine reducing the transfer fee. However, Cerezo’s statements now allow a different conclusion with an open outcome.

Background to the dispute: Griezmann made 35 appearances for the ‘Colchoneros’ in 2021/22, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists. Due to these assignments, the loan was initially extended by another year and offered interpretation possibilities for two variants: While the first season was sufficient for Barcelona to regard the purchase obligation as valid, Atlético insisted that the 50 percent be spread over both seasons. For this reason, Griezmann only came off the bench in the first five LaLiga games in 2022/23 and had to be content with 28, 28, 26, 27 and 29 minutes, and the same procedure followed in the Champions League. Coach Diego Simeone did not want to confirm a possible instruction from the club management when asked, but did not deny it either and said: “I am a man of the club and will always be.”

Griezmann always wanted to be an Atlético man as well, according to the report. During the entire transfer period, the offensive man is said to have rejected all attempts by other clubs to poach him out of love for the Madrid club – Juventus Turin, Manchester United and Arsenal are said to have expressed interest.

To home page