Official: Griezmann makes €20m Atletico Madrid return from Barcelona
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 10 Oct 2022 15:01 BST
- 3 min read
Antoine Griezmann has completed his €20 million return to Atletico Madrid from Barcelona, the capital club have confirmed.
Barca president Joan Laporta had indicated previously that the deal would happen, but it has now been rubberstamped, with the World Cup winner set to remain at Atleti until 2026.
Diego Simeone's side could be liable for another €4m in bonus payments to Barcelona if certain conditions are met.
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Griezmann had been at the club on loan for the past 18 months and had a previous spell in the Spanish capital from 2014-19, in which he became one of the best players in the world.
A statement published on Atletico Madrid's official website states: "Atletico de Madrid and FC Barcelona have reached an agreement over the transfer of Antoine Griezmann, who since the summer of 2021 and until now had played for our club on loan from FC Barcelona. In addition, the French striker has signed a contract that will link him to our club until 30 June 2026.
"In the current campaign, the French striker has taken part in all the league and continental matches played by the team in which he has scored three goals and provided two assists."
How Atleti got the Griezmann deal done
Although Griezmann has been an ever present for Atleti, it has been a complicated season for him. He has most commonly been used as a replacement in the last half hour of games owing to a clause in his loan deal that stated that if he played 45 minutes or more in fixtures he was available, Atleti were under obligation to buy him for €40m.
The Wanda Metropolitano club, though, did not want to spend that money on a player they sold to Barcelona in 2019. As such, they used him sparingly off the bench and forced the Camp Nou side to accept a lower bid for him.
Barcelona could not afford to risk a transfer falling through due to their precarious financial situation and Griezmann having proven poor value for money. Although he would have returned to the club at the end of the season to bolster Xavi's attacking options, his huge wage is not in line with the club's present structure.
Griezmann leaves Barcelona having played 102 times for the club, scoring 35 goals and creating 17 more.
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