Atletico Madrid have now confirmed the permanent re-signing of France international Antoine Griezmann from FC Barcelona.
The Madrid outfit have announced that they have successfully converted Griezmann's two-year-old loan deal into a permanent transfer until June 2026.
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We're thrilled to announce that Antoine Griezmann has signed a permanent contract until 2026! ???? pic.twitter.com/H7B7Gsyreo
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) October 10, 2022
The 31-year-old endured a largely disappointing time at the Camp Nou following his massive €120 million (R2.1 billion) transfer from Atletico in 2019, which made him Barca's third-most expensive signing ever behind Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele.
After failing to live up to expectations in his first two seasons with the Catalan club, the forward was sent back to his previous employers on a two-season loan deal that came with a few clauses.
It is understood that the arrangement stipulated that should Griezmann play in 50% of the games he is available for at the Metropolitano Stadium, Atleti would have to sign him on a permanent contract for a fee of €40 million (R703 million).
The Madrid outfit initially showed reluctance to meet those terms, with manager Diego Simeone only bringing the marksman on after the 60th minute of matches in order to avoid the resulting fee.
The drawn-out saga then took another turn when reports in Spain suggested that the Blaugrana were threatening to take legal action against their counterparts for their apparent avoidance of paying up.
The issue has now been resolved, however, with Barca president Joan Laporta confirming on the weekend that his side will receive a fixed fee of €20 million (R351 million), plus €4 million (R70 million) in add-ons, according to Barca Universal.
The club chief revealed that the Catalans would also receive the difference if Atletico sell Griezmann for up to €40 million (R703 million) in the future, and acknowledged that the sale means Barcelona now avoid having to pay Griezmann his massive salary of €36 million (R632 million) a year.
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The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner leaves the Camp Nou having made 102 appearances for the club, contributing to 35 goals and 17 assists in the process.
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