Antoine Griezmann, Atletico Madrid Agree New Contract: Latest Details, Reaction

Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann has penned a new contract with the club up until 2021, it was confirmed on Thursday.

The player’s extension was reported by the club's official Twitter feed, with the France international signing a five-year deal:

During his time at the Vicente Calderon Stadium, Griezmann has blossomed into one of the most dangerous forwards on the planet. Here is a look at some of his most memorable moments for the Madrid club:

Prior to joining Atletico, the path to becoming a world-class player for Griezmann didn’t seem like one he’d inevitably tread.

Indeed, there were times when his attitude was questioned, especially after the France national team hit him with a one-year ban after he and some team-mates were out at a nightclub instead of at the team's training base in 2012, per Football Espana.

The talent has always been evident, and there were times during his spell as a Real Sociedad player that he was a frightening wide man. But moving to Atletico Madrid and working under manager Diego Simeone has been crucial for Griezmann. 

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As the UEFA Champions League Twitter feed noted recently, he’s been a revelation in his two campaigns as a Rojiblancos player:

Simeone has harnessed Griezmann's raw pace and trickery on the ball, converting him from a flighty wide player to a devastating split striker. The Frenchman was deployed off Fernando Torres for long spells of the 2015-16 season, with defences finding his runs from deep positions difficult to stop.

Questions about Griezmann’s appetite for the game are gone, too. Simeone has clearly conveyed the value of putting in a defensive shift to the forward, who is so often the player to trigger a high press or hassle a playmaker when Atletico opt to sit deeper.

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The results of this hard work and obvious development have most likely been crucial to Griezmann agreeing new terms. As Sport Witness’ Tom Coast noted during the UEFA Champions League final, in which the forward missed a penalty against rivals Real Madrid, there is a kinship between the player and his coach:

Griezmann has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Manchester United and Chelsea named as suitors, as well as Bayern Munich and even Real Madrid, per George Bellshaw of Metro. But the player needn’t go anywhere to realise his ambitions. Atletico are a team challenging regularly for the biggest honours in the game.

And while Simeone may not enforce a style that falls in line with Griezmann’s natural game, the often impenetrable defensive structure in place means the 25-year-old can add the gloss in the final third.

After two seasons of improvement, the challenge for Atletico and Griezmann will be getting their hands on silverware once again.