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What's the story?
Antonio Griezmann looked set to join arch-rivals Barcelona from Atletico Madrid in this summer's transfer window. However, there has been a new twist in the tale, as the Los Colchoneros are planning to take legal action against the Blaugrana for starting negotiations with Griezmann back in November last year.
In case you didn't know...
The Antonio Griezmann transfer saga caused quite a stir in last summer's transfer window. The World Cup winner looked set to leave Diego Simeone's men last summer, having said his goodbyes to the fans and teammates on the back of their Europa League triumph. Griezmann publicly stated that he wanted to take up a new challenge and thanked the Los Rojiblancos for their unwavering support.
But, in an unpredictable turn of events, Griezmann released a documentary "Decision" on television, which was a compilation of his best moments in an Atletico jersey, closing the documentary by saying that he has now decided to stay put at the Wanda Metropolitano. Griezmann currently has a contract with Atletico until 2023, with his termination clause set to drop from £200 million to £120 million on July 1.
However, he released another video last month, stating that it is finally time for him to move on to a new club. What has followed is continued speculation over his future, with Barcelona, touted as the favorites to secure his signature.
The heart of the matter
According to reports, the Atletico Madrid faithful are unhappy with Barcelona starting negotiations with Griezmann behind their backs and agreeing on personal terms with the Frenchman in May. According to UEFA rules, any potential suitor is not allowed to negotiate with another club's player without taking the permission of the player's current club first.
The Atletico board is especially angered by this move because the club were in the middle of their La Liga campaign, and negotiations started before they were knocked out of the Champions League by Juventus.
Any potential legal action may lead to a breakdown in the long overdue transfer of the 28-year-old to Camp Nou.
What's next?
With the transfer season finally underway, this will surely spice things up in any future dealings involving the two Spanish giants. Manchester United will surely be on their toes to pound on any further error by the Blaugrana.
