Atlético Madrid want Antoine Griezmann to stay

Atlético and Barcelona have yet to reach an agreement to extend Antoine Griezmann’s loan deal for another year.

According to a report by Goal, Atlético’s intention is to keep the player for another season, as manager Diego Simeone and the player himself want to continue working together.

The Madrid club could also explore the possibility of negotiating a lower fee than the €40 million agreed as a purchase option after the two-year loan. Goal report that both clubs have an excellent relationship and are in constant communication with each other to explore different possibilities for this summer.

Last summer, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid agreed on the loan of Griezmann. The deal included the possibility that the loan could be extended for another season, provided both clubs agreed.

Los Colchoneros are paying 100 per cent of the player’s salary for the current season after Griezmann agreed to a reduction of up to 40 per cent in his salary compared to what he would have received if he had remained at Camp Nou. This was the main economic requirement that the Frenchman had to meet to join Atlético and fit into their financial plan. Barça reduced the wage bill with Griezmann going on loan and Atlético had the Frenchman back.

Álvaro Morata

Juventus, who have already paid the €20 million loan fee to Atlético for Álvaro Morata, don’t want to pay the €35 million that it would cost to keep the striker in Italy.

The Serie A giants want to lower that amount by offering between €15 million and €20 million and have made this known to Atlético. This is where Barcelona appear. They wanted to sign Morata last winter and are not giving up on the possibility of signing him.

Both Morata’s agents and Atletico Madrid are studying all possible scenarios. The first possibility is that Juventus agree to pay between €15 million and €20 million for the striker, or even consider extending his loan for another year. The second scenario is that the player is still interested in joining Barcelona, which would reactivate the talks between the clubs. The third scenario would be for the player to negotiate for Atlético to let him go next summer so that the club could save on his salary. Atlético could also consider a transfer fee for Morata to Barça, money that would finance the operation of the Griezmann buy option.

Another possibility, which was suggested in January, would be for Morata to sign for an extra year at Atlético, with a view to then considering a loan move to Barcelona, subject to payment of a loan fee that could be agreed between the clubs. The Spain international currently has a contract at the Wanda Metropolitano until 30 June 2023.