Barcelona wants Atletico Madrid to pay them a minimum of €25 million for Antoine Griezmann. The figure is €15 million less than what the Catalans claim is the clause in Griezmann’s loan contract.
Barcelona are looking to mitigate the high cost it has attracted this season, knowing that the leeway extended to them might not exist in the next campaign. Several players arrived at the Nou Camp this summer, with Barcelona activating a few levers to sign and register them for the season.
Barcelona want to lighten their load amid the several bad decisions made in the past. The quality of players at the Nou Camp dropped, and the new president Joan Laporta has gone to extreme lengths to return the club to its glory days. With the paucity of funds staring at him, he resorted to selling part of the club’s assets to push their player drive.
Despite the signing of several players this summer, there is the thorny issue of Antoine Griezmann. Barcelona want to cut all ties with the Frenchman but have not agreed on a figure with Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona seeks Griezmann’s resolution
There seems to be no end to the Griezmann issue as Barcelona and Atletico Madrid continue their tug of war over the Frenchman.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona want to bring the impasse to an end. They are looking to settle the dispute as soon as possible. Atletico and Barca are wrangling over the loan of Antoine Griezmann, with the Catalan side willing to accept a €25 million fee.
Griezmann has been on loan at Atletico Madrid since the summer of 2021, with the deal set to end this season. With the way things are going, there is a high possibility of the courts having to decide the outcome of the matter for the two sides. Barcelona is, however, not interested in resorting to the courts and wants an amicable solution.
Barca argues that Atletico has triggered the clause in the contract that automatically makes the loan deal of Antoine Griezmann a permanent transfer. The Catalan giants claim that the Frenchman has exceeded 50% of games played at Atletico. Atletico, however, maintains that the 50% threshold only applies across the two years of the loan.
Barca want to recoup funds
Barcelona spent a tidy sum on Antoine Griezmann and is eager to recoup some of that money. Atletico manager Diego Simeone wants the opportunity to use the striker without worrying about triggering the €40m clause. Simeone has used Griezmann sparingly this season. Before the Madrid derby where Griezmann started, the Frenchman has played for 30 minutes or less as a substitute.
According to Mundo Deportivo, there has been no direct contact, but Barcelona are willing to negotiate. Despite the clause in the contract, Barca is ready to accept a minimum of €25m. Barca also wants to resolve the issue before the first weekend of January so that it doesn’t interfere with the match between the two clubs.
It seems Griezmann is not in the loop of all the intricacies of the negotiations. The Frenchman, however, hopes the matter is quickly sorted out to allow him to play regularly. Griezmann is aware he needs as many minutes as possible ahead of the World Cup.
