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FC Barcelona is planning to file a case against Atletico Madrid and demand the Madrid-based club pay them €40 million for Antoine Griezmann, as reported by ESPN. Griezmann came back to Atletico on a two-year loan deal in 2021, but now both the clubs are in conflict regarding a clause which would make the deal permanent.
Sources close to the Blaugrana say that Griezmann played over 45 minutes in 30 of the 37 games he was available for last season and hence Atletico must sign him for €40m. Whereas, the Los Colchoneros claim that the Frenchman must play over 45 minutes in 50% of the games he is selected for over two seasons, not just one, for the clause to kick in.
Therefore, Madrid has used Griezmann as a substitute in the second half of games this season, where he came at the 62nd, 62nd, 64th, 63rd and 61st-minute mark in their five fixtures. Sources say Barcelona’s legal team have reviewed the contract and is convinced they are right, but Atletico's interpretation of the clause differs.
An Atletico spokesperson expressed that the club hasn’t received any official communication from the Catalans. "It is what it is," said Griezmann while speaking to the press after he scored the winner for Atletico Madrid in the Champions League game against Porto on Wednesday.
"It's not in my hands. I want to [play] more, but I will give everything in the minutes I am given. I am happy to be here, the only thing I want is to give everything for this club, for Cholo [coach Diego Simeone] and the fans”, he said.
Similarly, when asked about the situation in the press conference on Friday, Barcelona manager Xavi said, "It's not to do with me, it's an issue between the two clubs. It's not something I have been involved in. The two clubs have to speak. But there is no debate here, we think he is an Atletico Madrid player."
Further reports suggest that Barcelona is not keen on taking Griezmann back because of his salary of over €20m which could take up a majority of their LaLiga spending limit. Griezmann joined Barcelona from Atletico for a fee of around €100m in 2019.