The transfer was valued at 20 million euros plus another four million euros in variables which should be a given as it depends on whether Atletico make next season’s Champions League and get past the group stage.
Barca have saved approximately 125 million euros in wages
A few days ago, the sale of Antoine Griezmann from Barcelona to Atletico Madrid was wrapped up. The transfer was valued at 20 million euros plus another four million euros in variables which should be a given as it depends on whether Atletico make next season’s Champions League and get past the group stage. It is a deal that has been criticised from various angles as the transfer agreement was originally set at 40m euros and has ended up being halved. However, this operation designed by Mateu Alemany is a success for Barcelona because of the savings it generates. It began with the loan of the striker in the summer of 2021 and has now culminated with the sale of the player. The Catalan giants have saved approximately 125 million euros in wages in the three seasons that remained on the Frenchman’s contract when he left the Camp Nou.
The Catalan club wanted to close the deal before the World Cup
In the first two seasons, the key was not paying a 35 million annual salary. The Blaugrana club no longer paid him anything since he left for Atletico. The loan of the player and the wage bill he freed up allowed the club to bring in players such as Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traore in the winter transfer window. And for the current campaign, it has also influenced the signing of all the signings brought in. The icing on the cake comes for the 2023/24 season. The sale of the player means that for this one, in addition to the player’s salary, the amortisation of his transfer is added, which they do not have to pay.
To the 35 million euros must be added another 23m euros, which is approximately what remains to be amortised. That is to say, almost 60m euros of reduction in the wage bill for the 23/24 season.
The wage bill would have cost around 650m euros without considering how the Griezmann operation affects it, so that it would fall below 600m euros. Another important point has been the speed of executing the operation. Barcelona wanted to close the deal before the World Cup because the pressure for the striker to play was to their advantage. Without the signing being completed before the World Cup as it has been, Atletico and the player could have agreed so as not to meet the minutes required that would trigger the release clause. This is what Barcelona thought, which is why the agreement with Atletico was accelerated.