Barcelona’s financial situation is well documented, and it is the reason why the club has had to let go of many of their top players. Manager Xavi has not been able to spend much money on players as well, which has led to him inheriting a very limited squad.
Barcelona had to let go of their best player, Lionel Messi, due to financial problems, and many others as well. Antoine Griezmann is one of them, even though many believe his exit was due to sporting reasons. Xavi has now managed to clear that misconception away.
Xavi explains why Barcelona dismissed Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann was one of the best players Barcelona had, but he had to be let go in 2021. He was allowed to rejoin his former club, Atletico Madrid, first on a loan deal, and later on a permanent basis. Xavi has clarified that the player was let go not due to his performances, but due to the club’s financial situation.
He also said that he liked the player a lot: “We decided to let Antoine Griezmann leave just because of the financial situation, the club had to let him go. Griezmann is a player that I like a lot, but he left for that reason.” Indeed, Griezmann has been in great form since leaving the club, and Xavi would have liked to have him in his current team.
šŖš«š· Xavi: āWe decided to let Antoine Griezmann leave just because of the financial situation, the club had to let him goā.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 16, 2024
āGriezmann is a player that I like a lot, but he left for that reasonā. pic.twitter.com/gyowoZl4aB
Greizmann had arrived at the club in 2019 for an expensive fee of ā¬120 million, and was expected to do great things. However, his form had dipped, though he did have spells of brilliance for them. He only managed to win the Copa del Rey trophy for them in his 2 year stint. His high wages and the need to raise transfer money led Barcelona to allow him to return to Atletico Madrid.
What Barca-Atletico deal for Antoine Griezmann looked like?
Antoine Griezmann’s departure to Atletico Madrid involved a lot of confusion. He was let go to the club by Barcelona on an initial two-year loan deal in 2021, with a mandatory clause to buy him for ā¬40 million after the loan ended.
However, Atletico were unwilling to pay the ā¬40 million transfer. They started to introduce Griezmann late in games after halftime in order to make use of another clause in the deal. That clause was that the French forward had to play at least 45 minutes for 50% of the games he would be available in in order for the mandatory purchase option to be activated.
Barcelona wanted to go to legal action over it but later decided to renegotiate a new transfer amount of ā¬20 million, with add-ons of ā¬4 million. Since then, he has been on a roll, becoming the top assist provider in La Liga last season and becoming the club’s all-time top scorer this season. Xavi definitely would like to have him in his team’s forward options.
Xavi will be able to see Antoine Griezmann in action when their teams meet on Monday in a La Liga fixture.
