Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the bizarre transfer saga between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid over Antoine Griezmann is close to being resolved.
The forward has made nine appearances for Diego Simeone’s side this term but has only started two of those games.
According to The Mirror, Atleti re-signed Griezmann on a two-year loan last summer, which included a compulsory purchase of €40 million if he played enough minutes.
This would explain Simeone’s insistence on bringing the French international on with under half an hour to go in their games this season. However, Romano has offered an update on the current situation, with the Italian journalist reporting that all parties are close to reaching an agreement.
Romano claims that Barcelona will receive €20 million for the forward, around half of the amount that was originally purposed. He claims that the Blaugrana could receive an extra €2 million in add-ons and that Griezmann only wants to be at Atletico.
The latest update looks to be bringing an end to a sorry chapter in the Frenchman’s career, with his spell at Camp Nou turning out to be a disaster. Griezmann moved to Barcelona for £108 million in 2019 and scored 35 goals in 102 appearances for the Catalonian giants.
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann not worried by France form
The forward played a crucial role in Les Bleus’ World Cup triumph in 2018 as he scored four goals in the tournament, including one in the final. However, France have endured a miserable run of form heading into this year’s competition, winning just one of their previous six encounters.
Griezmann claimed after his team’s 2-0 defeat to Denmark that Didier Deschamps wanted to try new players. The Barcelona flop told L’Equipe (as translated by Get French Football News):
“It’s a question of consistency. The coach wants to see new players and we try to find solutions. We’re not going to say that it’s the fault of the changes. If we weren’t good at corners, it’s a question of mentality. We have to win the duels. Up front, we were timid, we missed some final moves. It’s good for us before the World Cup.”
Griezmann was also asked if he was worried about France’s form, to which he replied:
“No, not at all. We have the group and the coach to aim very high. It’s up to us to put everything in place to be ready.”