Griezmann: Atlético mulling legal action against Barcelona
Atlético Madrid's leaders are considering legal action after news broke that Barcelona had agreed terms with Griezmann back in March.
Atlético Madrid are considering taking legal action against Barcelona over the alleged poaching of Antoine Griezmann earlier this year.
Spanish radio channel Cadena Sur has claimed it has seen documents that show that the French striker began talks with Barcelona last November and agreed terms with the club in March, days before Atlético were due to play the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Juventus.
Atlético angered by report
Griezmann currently has a contract with Atlético until 2023, with his termination clause set to drop from 200 million to 120 on July 1. Although earlier this month the Frenchman publically announced he would leave the club at the end of this season and is expected to join Barcelona.
But since the news of this alleged March deal has broken, anger towards Barcelona is building at the Wanda Metropolitano, as it would mean that Barca had gone behind Atlético’s back to negotiate with Griezmann while Simeone's men still had plenty at stake with the Champions League and LaLiga campaigns.
Now Atlético want to look further into the matter in order to assess whether they will take legal action against the LaLiga champions.
News could sour ties between clubs
Earlier this month, Griezmann spoke with the Atlético hierarchy to tell them he would leave the club at the end of the season. Although in a meeting with CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín and Diego Simeone, he did not confirm where his destination would be this summer. Atlético, however, had expected that his next club would be Barcelona.
But this latest news from Cadena Sur could likely sour ties between the directors of Atlético and Barcelona, who, up to now, have always maintained a very cordial relationship.