Last week saw claims of Barcelona telling Atletico Madrid they were going to pay Antoine Griezmann’s €100m termination clause, the club from Spain’s capital reportedly being annoyed about how things had gone.
A lot of it didn’t make any sense, because there’s no need for Barca and Atletico to fall out at this stage. Griezmann’s clause doesn’t drop back to €100m until July, so if Barca plan things to do things the forceful way, then they can’t do anything until that time anyway.
It always made much more sense for Barcelona to try to do things amicably, and that’s what Sport report on Sunday. A ‘pact’ has been reached and the rough idea is that Barca would pay €15m more than the clause, but be able to do so in installments.
Atletico would ultimately get more money, but Barca can spread the cost a little and do things in a good natured way. It may even allow Girezmann to make the move prior to the World Cup, which has been the player’s aim.
Other clubs have been trying, report Sport, including Manchester United. Despite offers of high wages, the Catalan newspaper say Griezmann is ‘just not attracted’ by Jose Mourinho’s ‘sports project’.
