Griezmann's agent wants Barcelona to change loan terms
FT Desk
- 3 Sept 2022 16:25 BST
- 3 min read
Antoine Griezmann has featured for less than 30 minutes in each of his three La Liga outings for Atletico Madrid so far this season...
Griezmann returned to Atletico on a two-year-loan from Barcelona last summer, with an obligatory clause to make that deal permanent for €40 million, depending on performances.
As outlined by Football Transfers recently, that clause would be met if Griezmann played for 45 minutes in more than 50 per cent of Atletico's games this season.
And everyone thought Griezmann returning to Atletico was a good idea...https://t.co/3ncHgrgU3r
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) August 31, 2022
Atleti coach Diego Simeone claims Griezmann's restricted minutes are for sporting reasons alone, but there is no escaping the fact that the Frenchman has scored against Getafe and Valencia already this season, despite his muted minutes.
Atleti and Barca are both working hard to satisfy La Liga financial regulations, and Griezmann is caught in the middle - in a World Cup year - and his agent Hector Fernandez doesn't want the situation to continue.
Agreement needed
Griezmann's agent is asking Barca and Atletico Madrid to reach an agreement that will reduce the price of the purchase obligation," reports Spanish journalist Pedro Morata. "So that the player will stop getting fewer minutes due to the clauses in the contract between the clubs."
Griezmann previously scored 141 goals in 293 games with Atletico, winning the Europa League along the way, before leaving for Cam Nou in a €120m deal in 2019.
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With Lionel Messi in his way at Barcelona, he struggled to recreate his best form, and returned to the Estadio Metropolitano on the aforementioned basis after two seasons away.
A World Cup winner with France in 2018, Griezmann's situation is a matter of urgency as he looks to make Didier Deschamps' squad for the 2022 edition in Qatar this winter.
What fee Barcelona might agree to for Griezmann remains to be seen, but the 31-year-old is ranked at €39m by Football Transfers' sophisticated inhouse algorithm, so Barca would be taking a hit.
