Antoine Griezmann Explains Why He Snubbed Barcelona Move
Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann has explained why he opted to snub a move to Barcelona during the summer transfer window.
The France international told L'Equipe that is it "difficult to say no to teams like Barca" before giving his reasons for staying with Diego Simeone's side (h/t Sport's Patricia Martinez):
"When you're shown love at home, you don't go elsewhere. They did everything possible to make me feel good, including bringing in important players and building a great team. I feel like the base...or the most important piece of the puzzle, that is what made me stay."
Barcelona were keen to pay Griezmann's €100 million release clause and bring him to the Camp Nou. The club had even reserved the No. 7 shirt for the 27-year-old, according to Marca (h/t Calciomercato.com).
However, Griezmann decided to stay with Atletico Madrid. He announced his decision in a documentary before the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup:
The forward went on to commit his future to Atletico by signing a new five-year deal.
Barcelona still enjoyed a summer of spending and brought in Arthur, Clement Lenglet, Arturo Vidal and Malcom during the transfer window.
La Liga writer Andrew Gaffney said they had made intelligent signings:
It was the second summer in a row that Griezmann's Atletico Madrid future had been in doubt. In 2017, he came close to a move to Manchester United before opting to stay in Spain.
Football writer Guillem Balague said he had told the Red Devils he would join the club:
Griezmann enjoyed a superb World Cup, as he helped France to win the tournament. The forward scored four goals, including a penalty in the 4-2 final win over Croatia.
The World Cup capped a successful few months for Griezmann, who also finished the season by helping Atletico to finish second in La Liga and win the 2018 UEFA Europa League.
The forward has been warmly welcomed back at Atletico despite the close links with a move to Barcelona. Football journalist Euan McTear noted how home supporters reacted to Griezmann:
The France international was clearly tempted by a move to the Camp Nou and the possibility to add to his trophy collection with the Catalan giants. However, Atletico's Europa League win and the club's transfer activity seem to have been enough to convince him to stay.
