Atlético and Barcelona reach an agreement for Griezmann in exchange for 20 million more variables

Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid have reached an agreement for the transfer of Antoine Griezmann to the mattress club for 20 million euros plus about 5 in variables, as confirmed by sources close to the rojiblanco club.

This puts an end to the soap opera of this start of the season, where the Frenchman has only been a starter in only two games within a strategy of the entity to lower the price of him to Barcelona.

EL PAÍS already announced that there were negotiations in September, something that Barcelona denied.

From the Barça club, today they admit advanced negotiations and expect the operation to be carried out, although they do not consider it closed, reports

.

Griezmann's loan contract involved a mandatory purchase clause of 40 million euros if the French attacker played 45 minutes in 50% of the games in which he was available during the two years of loan that he had signed so far.

Atlético was not willing to pay it and did not see the amounts agreed with the player in the new contract that he had to sign so that he would not be released on June 30.

That's where the tug-of-war began in which Simeone has been a participant, who has lined him up from the 60th minute in all but two games (Real Madrid in the League and Bruges in the Champions League).

In this last one, the technician already knew the agreement and for that reason he put it in the headline.

Given the situation, Barcelona decided to negotiate with Atlético shortly before the Madrid derby and the last thing that has been closed has been the form of payment.

In the new contract that Griezmann will sign (for 2 or 3 years), the rojiblanco club asks for a salary reduction.

The rojiblanco club wants the Frenchman to lower his economic claims to 8 million gross per season, when right now he is charging 16 million gross.

Such a strong drop will be difficult for the Frenchman to accept, since it would be the player's second pay cut after returning from Barcelona.

The agreement between Griezmann and Atlético has to be closed before January 1, before he is free to negotiate with another club.

He is now an Atlético player, but his contract ends on June 30 and the entity is not willing to pay 20 million for the player to leave.

Atlético has known how to play with the financial burden that keeping Griezmann would entail for Barcelona.

If the Frenchman had returned to the Camp Nou, they would have to assume the 21 million euros clean to which, with a bonus, the Frenchman's salary could rise for the 23-24 season, according to the newspaper

, which had access to the contract of the soccer player.

The salary mass would be fired at the Barça entity again and its containment would not be easy, so they have preferred to accept the mattress offer, according to the Madrid club.

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