Atletico Madrid President Says Antoine Griezmann Isn't Leaving Club
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has insisted that Antoine Griezmann will remain at the club this summer, despite the French forward being linked with a potential move to Barcelona.
Griezmann was on the brink of joining Barcelona before the World Cup last summer, but the move fell through at the final hour after the 28-year-old publicly rejected the Blaugrana's advances and signed a contract extension to keep him at Atletico until 2023 - in a one-off TV documentary labeled 'La Decision'.
The rumors surrounding a potential move to Barcelona have resurfaced just under a year later, with it being previously suggested that Griezmann is willing to take a pay cut in order to secure a move to the Catalan giants.
However, Cerezo has rubbished any talks of a move, simply stating that the Frenchman will not be leaving Atletico under any circumstances this summer.
"Antoine will not move," he told El Rondo, as per Mundo Deportivo. "Antoine remains at Atleti, for sure".
Atleti manager Diego Simeone has also had his say on the matter, addressing the fact that Griezmann could be available for €120m this summer due to a clause in his current contract.
"Honestly, I am not worried about the Griezmann issue," Simeone said, as per Goal. "He is a captain of Atletico de Madrid. He has always responded with football, with facts, what he wants
"If I imagine the next season without Griezmann? No, I can not imagine the next season without him because he has a contract with the club, he is one of the captains of Atletico, he gave everything since he arrived."
Atletico have already lost Griezmann's compatriot Lucas Hernandez, who'll be joining Bayern Munich this summer, so it'll come as no surprise to see them dig their heels in if Barcelona do come knocking.
