Atletico Madrid are set to extend Antoine Griezmann’s loan option rather than execute the €40m buy option they have this summer – much to the chagrin of Joan Laporta, one would imagine.
The news was reported by Goal, who often discern information from the reliable Ruben Uria. Previous reports on the matter had suggested that Atletico Madrid were obliged to use their purchase option this summer.
No. El Atlético Madrid no está obligado a pagar 40 M€ al Barça por Antoine Griezmann este verano. Ambos clubes deben acordar otro año de cesión y además, que juegue más del 50% de partidos que esté disponible.https://t.co/kv4zzAoy0d en @GoalEspana
— Rubén Uría (@rubenuria) March 29, 2022
However it transpires that Atleti could extend the loan this summer instead. If Griezmann were to then play 50% of the matches he was available for, they would then be forced to stump up the money for the French forward in the summer of 2023. This summer that buy-clause is optional.
The report also detailed how Griezmann lowered his salary to around 40% of what he was earning in order to facilitate the move. That allowed Barcelona to remove him from their wage bill and Atletico to fit him into theirs.
