Leaked details of Griezmann’s contract

It is probably no secret that the transfer of French world champion Antoine Griezmann from Atlético Madrid to Barcelona was one of the biggest in the modern era of football. Specifically, the Catalan club sent €120 million to the Spanish capital for him, making the French cannonballer the sixth most expensive player in history.

Everyone seems to understand that paying the salary of such a player must be a big hit to the club’s coffers for almost any club. Even more so in the case of Barcelona, which has been struggling financially for some time now.

Recently, the Spanish newspaper Sport managed to publish specific details of Griezmann’s contract. And from the leaked material, it is evident that his entire engagement may end up costing Barcelona much more.

As we can see here, the goal-killer will earn an insane €95 million before taxes over the five years of his tenure. The money is spread over five years, starting at €17 million for the first year and increasing by a million each year thereafter until the final year when the payout is €21 million.

In addition, Sport newspaper also reports that in the contract, the 30-year-old striker had plenty of bonuses for the number of games played and trophies won, which would increase his annual earnings even more.

Towards the end of this year’s transfer window, the player went on a one-year loan back to his former club with the option of a possible one-year extension. Atlético Madrid now have a €40 million option on him.

The fact that he came to Barcelona in 2019 for three times that amount indicates that from a financial point of view, this deal is very unfavourable and only reflects the horrible situation that Barcelona was put in by the actions of the previous club management.

Thus, a small consolation for the Catalans may be that they will at least get rid of Griezmann’s salary for at least a year, thus relieving the club’s coffers at least in the short term. However, how the French bombardier’s career will continue and whether he will be able to build on his great previous performances for the Rojiblancos remains a question.

Source: Marca, Onefootball