Griezmann Transfer: Proof against Barca?

Antoine Griezmann’s transfer from Atletico Madrid to FC Barcelona could cost 80 million euros more. An e-mail is supposed to convince the Catalans that they had already negotiated with the world champion before 1 July.

The daily El Mundo is said to have received an e-mail from Griezmann’s lawyer Sevan Karian to his sister and advisor Maud Griezmann and his father Alain. The message was therefore already sent in March 2019. At that time, the fixed transfer fee for Griezmann still amounted to 200 million euros.

Atletico insists on that sum and demands 80 million euros more than FC Barcelona actually paid for the striker. However, it must be proven that Barca was already in negotiations with Griezmann before 1 July, when the opt-out clause sank.

That e-mail could now be useful. The news is about the annual salary of 20 million euros in Barcelona. It is quite possible that Atletico President Enrique Cerezo spoke of that mail when he said he had “evidence”.

FC Barcelona, on the other hand, is relaxed about the document’s existence, the daily reports. The club does not assume that the e-mail proves contact with Griezmann. Rather, it only proved that the Frenchman was talking to his lawyer about a transfer.