Antoine Griezmann made a sensational return to Atletico Madrid late on transfer deadline day, finally ending an underwhelming two-year spell at Barcelona for the French forward.
Griezmann, 30 and a 2018 World Cup winner for France, spent five seasons with Atletico in his first stint at the club, scoring 133 goals in more than 250 appearances to become one of the leading players in La Liga and had no difficulty convincing the Barcelona powers-that-be then to lavish €120 million to secure his services.
However, although certainly not for lack of trying, the France international somehow struggled to attain the same heights at the Camp Nou and has now returned to Atletico on a one-year loan deal with an option to extend by another year.
Barcelona have been pushing to lower their wage bill before the end of the transfer window – and it has seen them send Antoine Griezmann back to Atletico Madrid on loan would free up a lot of space, with Salary Sport’s data showing that the forward was the club’s highest paid player after the departure of Messi. Understandably his wages have now been translated into substantial savings per week for Camp Nou.
Barcelona readily confirmed his departure, with the disclosure that Atletico “will pay the player’s wages”, adding also that the deal includes a compulsory permanent transfer clause when his loan finishes. Neither club disclosed the obligation-to-buy fee but it was reportedly set at €40m.
“Welcome back, Griezmann!” Atletico wrote on its website, obviously pleased with the latest development.
The Camp Nou boardroom should be rubbing their palms with glee now, having finally palmed off Griezmann back to Atletico allegedly for €40 million, two years after paying a hefty €120 million to sign him – a transfer fee funded by taking out a short-term €45 million bank loan and mortgaging €85 million of future income. What a shambolic state of affairs for the once invincible Blaugranas to have descended into due to a deplorable lack of savvy in corporate governance, exacerbated by gross mismanagement of their finances by the previous administration led by then president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Barcelona have long been known to be totally messed up in their abject financial doldrums to the extent of even forcing six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi to depart Camp Nou and finally join Parisian giants Paris Saint-Germain last month, with returning president Joan Laporta conveniently attributing the main cause of the former talisman’s tragic departure to La Liga’s unyielding financial regulations cap over wages. This was of course after having heavily plied his inflammatory campaign rhetoric of retaining Messi at all costs at Camp Nou that eventually sealed his triumphant presidential comeback victory.
The situation certainly looks uncomfortably reminiscent of a dejà vu for the club with all the dodgy shenanigans persisting although in different iterations. True Lionel Messi fans should only be too glad that their idol is now enjoying a fresh lease of life with his beloved, supportive family under the warm, benevolent rays of a radiant Parisian sun.