Last update on. From the section European Football
Antoine Griezmann, who joined Atletico Madrid shortly after the 2013-14 La Liga victory, has not won a league title.
Atletico Madrid, La Liga champions, have signed forward Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona) on a one year loan deal.
Atletico will pay the wages of the player and there is a clause that makes the transfer permanent.
After scoring 133 goals in 257 matches for Atletico, the France international left in 2019, after Barcelona had paid his 107m buyout clause.
The 30-year-old scored only 35 goals in 102 matches and won the Copa del Rey together with Barca.
He is the 11th player to leave financial struggling Barcelona this summer, along with Lionel Messi.
Barcelona had to let go of their top goal scorer to make room in La Liga's wage structure. Messi joined Paris St-Germain.
Griezmann is the third transfer deadline-day sale from Barcelona. Emerson Royal, right-back, joined Tottenham for 25.8m. Ilaix Moriba, a teenage midfielder, moved to RB Leipzig at 13.7m.
Atletico signed Barcelona striker Luis Suarez last summer and he helped Diego Simeone win La Liga.
Chelsea signed 26-year-old Atletico midfielder Saul Niguez to a season-long loan agreement.
Analyse
Julien Laurens, a French football expert, on BBC Radio 5 Live
For me, the most bizarre thing is that Barcelona, just like Luis Suarez last year, are only strengthening their rivals for the title.
Griezmann wasn't happy at Barca. But you are giving one your direct competitors for the title - as well as one of the big clubs in Spain. One of your best players arguably and a phenomenal player - and you don’t get anything in return.
Although I don't know the person making these decisions, I find them to be insane. It's amazing.
