Barcelona's attorneys were sure that the team would not have to pay an extra 80 million euros to Atlético Madrid (around $89M) for hiring French star Antoine Griezmann, but the tables have apparently turned and now, Los Colchoneros seem to have the upper hand on this matter.
The Catalan side had previously stated that there had not been any contact between them and Griezmann or any of the members of his inner circle, but an email published by Spanish newspaper El Mundo not only denies such claims, but also leaves Barça in a complicated position.
The information revealed by El Mundo suggests that Griezmann's agent, Sevan Karian, contacted the player's sister and his father back in March. The email reportedly contained details of the Frenchman's deal with Los Blaugranas, which resembled the conditions from an agreement reached in 2018 between the club and the footballer. Griezmann would eventually ignore that deal and decided to continue playing for Atlético.
The aforementioned email states that Griezmann will not be collecting the same wage he had agreed to with Atlético during his last year with Los Colchoneros, which saw the Frenchman earn a bit over $22M. A draft of his 2018 pre-contract with Los Blaugranas was attached in that email.
If this information is proven to be correct, Barcelona may be facing two problems. First off, they will have to pay Atlético over $89M, since the player's buyout clause at the moment in which the agent contacted his relatives stood at $223M.
The second problem for Los Blaugranas would come when FIFA asks for answers. No team in the world is allowed to enter negotiations with a player that is still under contract, which was the case. If Barcelona is found guilty of breaching that rule, not only will they have to pay Atlético the extra fee, but they could also face one more transfer ban, such as the one slapped on them back in 2015.
The email has become a massive piece of evidence in this case, with Atlético president Miguel Ángel Gil in possession of a copy. All things considered, signing Griezmann could prove to be too expensive for Barcelona.
