October 10, (THEWILL) – Antoine Griezmann’s permanent return to Atletico Madrid from Barcelona has been finalised, the Madrid club has announced.
The Frenchman joined Atletico for the first time in 2014 after leaving Real Sociedad, and he later established himself as one of the key figures in the team’s modern history. He particularly assisted the team in reaching the Champions League final in 2016 and winning the Europa League in 2018.
After toying with the idea of joining Barça in 2018, he decided to make the move to Catalonia in 2019. He was, however, a disappointing signing and was loaned back to Atletico at the start of the previous season on a two-year deal. And Los Rojiblancos declared on Monday afternoon that Griezmann’s permanent re-signing was finally agreed upon.
The club’s statement read: “Atletico de Madrid and FC Barcelona have reached an agreement for the transfer of Antoine Griezmann, who since the summer of 2021 and to date had played for our club on loan from the Barça entity. In addition, the French striker has signed a contract that will link him to our entity until June 30, 2026.”
When Atletico attempted to avoid activating a buyout clause greater than €40 million by only using Griezmann for brief periods of time in games, they received criticism from Barcelona quarters earlier this season.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
