Antoine Griezmann to Barcelona was a move that never paid off. One of the best players in the world at Atletico Madrid, Griezmann made the switch to Barcelona in 2019. Under Ernesto Valverde, he was a left winger, a position that never suited him. Sure enough, the move was a failure with so many heavyweights in the dressing room. Griezmann never played at the striker position that he wished to. The 2020-21 season was his best in terms of goal-scoring for Barcelona. His Partnership with Messi really paid off.
But Griezmann never really felt at home in the City. The striker made his way back to the beloved Capital city of Madrid on loan. Atletico also have a buy-out clause for him that is mandatory if he played a certain amount of games. At Atletico, Simeone knows how to use him at his best. Still, last season was the Frenchman’s worst in terms of goal output. Now Atletico are also confused about their position regarding Griezmann. Diego Simeone wants Griezmann to stay at the club and so does Atletico’s President.
Griezmann joined Atletico on a two-year temporary deal with an obligation to buy for €40 million in 2023. The clause will be triggered if he plays 45 minutes or more in 50% of matches for Atletico. So far, Atletico have used him as less as they can, being unsure about the situation. Gerard Romero reports that Griezmann might just leave Los Colchoneros. Barcelona have a lot of offers on the table for the 31-year-old. The final decision will depend on the club and the player. Atletico wants Barcelona to reduce the fee and then they would be happy to keep Antoine.
Will Griezmann be influential for the Rojiblancos?
Griezmann knows he made a mistake switching from Atletico to Barcelona. He could have stayed and written history in their colors. He was a vital part of Simeone’s team which reached numerous finals in a short amount of time. It was Atletico’s intense training and defensive setup that made Griezmann such a versatile player.
It will now depend on Griezmann to make a decision. Barcelona have a lot of offers for him but Griezmann will only consider top offers. The Frenchman feels he has much more to offer and will be willing to negotiate with Barcelona and Atletico for a solution. It feels sad that a top player like Antoine feels lost. Hopefully, he has a redemption season at Atletico and can once again prove his haters wrong.
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