Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that beleaguered attacker Antoine Griezmann will rejoin Atletico Madrid on a permanent deal soon.
Joan Laporta has revealed the finances involved in the deal that will see beleaguered attacker Antoine Griezmann rejoin Atletico Madrid permanently. The Barcelona president has confirmed that the Blaugrana will receive a fixed payment of €20 million. And the deal also includes a clause that might see Barcelona recoup more money in future.
Antoine Griezmann might have felt he could do nothing wrong at one point in his career. He was one of the best players in the world and also guided France to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. But everything changed when he joined Barcelona from Atletico Madrid in a controversial move in 2019.
The 31-year-old struggled to stamp his authority at Camp Nou despite being at the peak of his powers. And his output invariably dropped, as he managed 35 goals and 17 assists in 102 outings for Barcelona. Griezmann’s waning confidence also impacted his performance on the international stage, and something had to give.
That happened on deadline day in the 2021 summer transfer window as Griezmann rejoined Atletico Madrid on loan. While the French international has looked better at the Wanda Metropolitano, he has failed to perform at peak levels. And Los Rojiblancos appeared reluctant to hand Griezmann starts due to a clause in the loan deal.
Barça president Laporta on Griezmann deal: "It's done and it's a good deal – we'll receive €20m fixed and €4m in add ons, plus the difference if Atletico sell him for up to €40m". 🇫🇷🤝 #FCB
"If Griezmann came back, we had to pay his €36m salary and it'd have been a drama". pic.twitter.com/FBvznEjktI
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 10, 2022
But all that has changed in the last few days, with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid negotiating a €20 million deal for him. And Joan Laporta has confirmed the same, revealing, “It’s done and it’s a good deal – we’ll receive €20 million fixed and €4 million in add-ons.”
“There is another clause in the player’s sale agreement is that if Atletico Madrid decides to sell the player in the future, they will have to pay us the difference that remains up to the €40 million that was set before.”
“If Griezmann returned to Barcelona after the World Cup, his salary was €36 million. Just look at the magnitude of our current tragedy. At least, we have avoided this risk and the possibility that La Liga made a wrong interpretation – lately La Liga haven’t really been up to the task. Griezmann is sold. It’s a good deal.”
Griezmann has been keen on rejoining Atletico Madrid for months now. So the confirmation from Barcelona will be music to the ears of the beleaguered attacker. It will now be interesting to see if he can rediscover his best form leading up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
