One of the most anticipated transfers of the summer is complete as Barcelona officially announced the acquisition of Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann.
[ MORE: Atletico Madrid to legally contest Griezmann fee ]
The club took the unusual step to confirm the fee of $135 million, confirming Barcelona matched his release clause.
Along with the announcement, Barcelona confirmed that Griezmann has signed a five-year contract, keeping him tied to the club through 2024. The club also stated he now holds a staggering release clause of $900 million.
You were waiting for this. pic.twitter.com/vVR0Prmy0b
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 12, 2019
The move had been highly anticipated for some time, with Griezmann confirming he would leave Atletico Madrid this summer after spending five years at the club. Griezmann, a Real Sociedad youth product, had moved to Atleti in the summer of 2014 for $33 million. He made 257 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 133 goals and winning the Europa League in 2018.
The transfer took longer than expected, however, with negotiations reportedly dragging on after Barcelona initially insisted on paying the transfer fee in installments, prompting a vicious public statement from Atletico Madrid that claimed Griezmann began negotiations with Barcelona back in late February and early March. Ultimately, Barcelona made the payment in full, as required by La Liga for release clauses, and the deal - as confirmed on Friday - went through.