Simeone Fears Antoine Griezmann’s £86m Buyout Clause Leaves Atletico With ‘No Security’
REUTERS/Sergio Perez
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has revealed that there is no guarantee that Antoine Griezmann will stay at the club, due to the termination clause in his contract.
Griezmann has been linked with a big-money move away from Atletico, with the biggest clubs on the continent interested in securing his services.
However, Manchester United have been the front runners in this transfer race all along, and despite the Frenchman’s recent comments, wherein he expressed his disregard towards the weather in England, speculation continues to surround the forward’s future.
Furthermore, with Griezmann’s current contract with the Rojiblancos consisting of an £86 million release clause, any interested party can end up winning his signature as long as they cough up enough money to meet the enormous price tag. And this release clause is precisely why the 26-year-old’s future from Atletico Madrid is far from secure, according to manager Diego Simeone.
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When asked by Spanish newspaper AS if there was a risk of Griezmann leaving, Simeone replied: “Yes, because there is a termination clause. There is no security.”
The Argentine tactician further shed light on the talks the club held with France international’s representatives to persuade him to prolong his future at the Vicente Calderon, and how Simeone’s own decision to stay convinced Griezmann to do the same.
“That’s what he told me – if you stay, I’ll stay,” added Simeone. “And I said yes, why would I not stay? And they began to work with the representatives for everything that had to be signed. And he stayed.
“And from now on I do not know what can happen. He would never let me tell him to stay. I did not do it with [Diego] Costa or [Radamel] Falcao. To the players who have given me life I accompany them in the decisions that they make. But it is clear that for as long as he stays, the team and the club will continue to grow.”
