Athletico Madrid and France international striker, Antonio Griezman has announced to his fans and club that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season which is only one match away from ending.
Despite signing a five-year contract extension last year, the French striker will play his last La Liga match against Levante will be his last for the club while Barcelona, where he is believed to be heading, will have to pay the buyout clause in Griezmann’s contract of 120m euros, as itis communicated by close sporting media reports.
Antoine Griezmann was 🔥 for Atletico Madrid in the Champions League 😍#UCLpic.twitter.com/WJrM9IAX8m
— Goal (@goal) May 14, 2019
“It’s been an incredible five years. Thank you for everything,” he said.
“I wanted to tell the fans who have always given me a lot of love that I have taken the decision to leave, to see other things, to have other challenges,” the 28-year-old added, in a video posted on Twitter,” He added.
“The truth is it has been difficult to take this route but it is what I feel I need and I would like to thank all of you for the love you have shown me during these five years.”
The strikee has won the Europa League, the Spanish Super Cup and the Uefa Supercup during his time at Atletico and has been the team’s top scorer in each of the last five seasons netting 133 goals in 256 appearances for Atletico since joining from fellow Spanish outfit Real Sociedad in 2014.
He becomes the third high-profile player to leave Atletico this summer after defender Lucas Hernandez agreed to join Bayern Munich and long-serving captain Diego Godin announced he would leave, with his contract set to expire.
His expected move to Barcelona whose desire to sign with he had refused the last season will place huge doubt over the future of Philippe Coutinho at the Nou Camp.
The former Liverpool star has struggled to hit top form since joining from Liverpool for £142m in January 2018, and sources I’ve spoken to say the arrival of Griezmann from Atletico Madrid is likely to see the Brazilian depart.
Coutinho’s next move remains wide because his former side, Liverpool cannot have him back while Chelsea who has shown interest in him won’t be able to do it in case FIFA stands with the ban. He was on record recently pleading with Manchester United to come for him.