Barcelona have officially confirmed the signing of Antoine Griezmann, while also confirming that they’ve paid his €120m release clause.
The Frenchman has been linked with a switch to the Nou Camp since last summer, but after a move failed to materialise back then, he has now got his switch from Atletico Madrid 12 months later.
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As noted in the club’s statement, they have exercised his €120m release clause, while the World Cup winner has penned a five-year contract and now has a whopping new €800m buyout clause included in his latest deal.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a glittering stint at Atleti, scoring 133 goals in 257 games for Diego Simeone’s side as he firmly established himself as one of the top players in Europe.
However, his move to Barcelona will now give him the opportunity to challenge for major trophies both domestically and in Europe, while of course also presenting him with the chance to play alongside Lionel Messi and form one of the most deadly attacking tridents in Europe along with Luis Suarez.
The responsibility to find the right balance and to allow them all to flourish will now fall on coach Ernesto Valverde, but he will surely relish having another world-class superstar at his disposal.
It remains to be seen what Griezmann’s arrival means for the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho as it could push them down the pecking order at the reigning La Liga champions, while the club may need to balance their spending too.
Nevertheless, coupled with the addition of Frenkie de Jong from Ajax, they have made two quality signings this summer to further strengthen their squad, and they’ll be hoping it’s enough to lead to more trophies next season, namely the Champions League after the bitterly disappointing way they have bowed out of the competition the last two years.
You were waiting for this. pic.twitter.com/vVR0Prmy0b
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 12, 2019
