The worst-kept secret in Spanish football was confirmed on Friday when Barcelona paid Atletico Madrid 120m euros (£107.7m) to sign French World Cup-winning forward Antoine Griezmann.
But the conclusion of Barca’s long pursuit of a player they also nearly bought last summer is by no means the end of the story – certainly from Atletico’s point of view.
The club from the capital reacted with fury to the move, vehemently arguing they should receive an additional 80m euros because Barca – they allege – reached agreement with Griezmann back in March, when his buy-out clause was still 200m euros.
It remains to be seen whether Atletico will follow through with their threat of legal action, which could just be a bargaining tactic to extract a few more million out of Barca.
But that is only the first of many loose ends from a deal that provides more questions than answers.
Where will Griezmann fit in?
On the face of it, Griezmann should find a natural home in Barcelona’s front three alongside established superstars Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.
The new signing’s versatility allows him to play anywhere across the forward line, meaning coach Ernesto Valverde can field him alongside Suarez with Messi tucked in behind, or place Griezmann on the left wing with Suarez central and Messi on the right……..read more
Source: BBC
