Antoine Griezmann is staying with Atletico Madrid. After months of rumors that he would be leaving for a bigger club, like Manchester United, the Frenchman has confirmed that he’s not going anywhere and will wear the red and white of Atleti next season.
The decision comes just after Atletico were hit with a transfer ban, barring them from signing any new players until January. Griezmann took that into account in deciding to stay because the team would not be able to sign anyone to replace him.
“We have decided to stay,” Griezmann told Telefoot. “[The constant speculation and questioning about his future] was pretty irritating.
“It is a difficult moment for the club and for my teammates. It would have been a really harsh blow [for Atletico] to leave. There is another beautiful season to be had.”
Griezmann had already hinted at a stay on Thursday, tweeting out “Now more than ever #Atleti #AllTogether” following the announcement of the transfer ban. Butwhile that appeared to be clear, there was room for Griezmann to wiggle out of it. Now, he’s flat out said he’s staying so it’s abundantly clear that he’s not going anywhere and the hottest name on the transfer target — reportedly the subject of a 100 million bid from Manchester United — is staying put.