Spanish heavyweights Barcelona has reportedly reopened talks to sign Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann. The 27-year-old French striker came close to joining Los Blaugrana last summer but opted to commit his future to the Madrid club.
Following a triumphant campaign at the 2018 World Cup in Russia in France, Griezmann announced his decision to stay at the Spanish capital in an infamous video documentary. He subsequently signed a new contract to extend his stay by signing a new deal to keep him in the Spanish capital until 2023.
Nonetheless, Atletico Madrid's exit from the UEFA Champions League has apparently caused the Frenchman to have a change of heart. The striker's side failed to progress to the quarter-final of the competition after Juventus overturned their 2-0 advantage at Wanda Metropolitano in the second leg in Turin.
According to French news outlet L'Equipe, a clause included in Griezmann's current deal Atletico could allow him to depart the club on some conditions of which a premature elimination from the Champions League is one.
As a result, Barcelona will be required to pay the Frenchman's release clause of 102 million pounds. However, the fee could rise higher should a club fail to activate the clause before June. Relatively, Griezmann will be required to take a massive pay-cut in order to join the Catalan club.
As per the report, a 13 million pounds per year offer is on the table for the forward alongside a four-year contract. The wage is believed to be 5 million pounds less than what the player currently receives at Atletico Madrid.
