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World Cup – UEFA Qualifying – France Training
MADRID (Reuters) – Atletico Madrid sensationally announced on Tuesday that they have loaned French striker Antoine Griezmann for a season from Barcelona.
In one of the most noticeable moves on the European cutoff date, Atletico secured the return of a player they sold in 2019 for a reported € 120 million ($ 141.68 million).
In a statement from the club, Atleti said the deal includes an option for both clubs to extend the loan agreement for a year.
Barca’s statement also added that the deal included a commitment to buy Griezmann, with La Liga champions Atletico also paying the player’s salaries in full.
Local media reports in Spain put the purchase option at 40 million euros (47.23 million US dollars).
The deal had been called into question as neither side announced the move before the midnight CET deadline.
Local media said the delay was due to an issue with LaLiga’s transfer registration system, but the league confirmed that it had received all relevant documentation in a timely manner and had not granted an extension to complete the deal.
($ 1 = 0.8470 euros)
(Reporting by Joseph Walker and Shrivathsa Sridhar; Editing by Tom Hogue)
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