The Antoine Griezmann transfer to Barcelona from Atletico Madrid ended up being the crowning disaster of the Bartomeu era, and it’s legacy is still haunting them now.
The whole saga entered a new phase a year ago when the Blaugrana were forced to loan him back to Aletico, including a compulsory purchase clause set at €40m if the France international played enough games.
Atletico are now leaving him out of the team to avoid paying that sum, pressuring Barcelona into agreeing a lower number.
Barca can either cave in, or keep their price high and hope that injuries force Diego Simeone and the club’s hand in the end.
Griezmann is already 32 and will only have one year left on his deal when he finishes this second season of his loan. Barca know his value is falling, and they likely won’t get close to €40m if they sell him next summer.
At this rate, we can see a compromise being agreed before January.
