It’s official: After a dramatic end to Deadline Day, Atlético Madrid have signed Antoine Griezmann from Barcelona on a season-long loan deal with an option for an extra year and an obligation to buy for a reported €40 million. Atlético will pay the player’s full wages.
Griezmann has been linked with a return to Atlético all summer, and Barça tried to bring back a player as part of the deal. First they tried Saúl Ñíguez, but the two sides couldn’t agree on a transfer fee for the midfielder, then João Félix was briefly discussed before Atleti rejected the move early on Tuesday.
The two clubs then moved on to negotiating a Griezmann-only transfer, and with the player open to a return to his former home the deal was completed rather quickly. Griezmann will join a stacked Atlético squad and lead the attack alongside his former Barça teammate Luis Suárez, and the Colchoneros are now undisputed favorites to repeat as La Liga champions.
Griezmann finishes his Barça career with 35 goals and 17 assists in 102 appearances across two seasons, plus the first three games of the 2021-22 campaign.
