Madrid, March 24: Atletico Madrid‘s star forward Antoine Griezmann is poised to leave the club at the end of the current season to join Orlando City.
According to leading Spanish sports newspapers Diario AS, Sport, and El Mundo Deportivo, Griezmann has been granted permission to travel to the United States during the ongoing international break to sign his contract with Orlando City. Club sources have also confirmed this transfer.
A source stated on Monday, “Antoine Griezmann has been allowed by his club to go to Orlando during his holiday days to advance discussions regarding his future.”
Griezmann is Atletico Madrid’s all-time top scorer with 211 goals and ranks as the fourth player with the most appearances in the club’s history, having played a total of 488 matches over ten seasons.
Reports from Xinhua indicate that speculation about Griezmann leaving Atletico Madrid began in February when the Major League Soccer (MLS) transfer window opened. However, the 35-year-old’s impressive form and the fact that Atletico is still competing in the Champions League and has reached the Copa del Rey final this season motivated him to remain with the team until the end of the current campaign.
Griezmann began his senior club career in 2009 with the Spanish team Real Sociedad, where he had previously played as a youth player, winning the Segunda Division title in his debut season.
In 2014, Griezmann joined Atletico Madrid for a club-record fee of €30 million. During his time there, he won the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, and Supercopa de España, and was awarded the La Liga Best Player. He was nominated for the Ballon d’Or and Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2016 and 2018.
In 2019, Griezmann signed with FC Barcelona for €120 million during the transfer window, making him the fifth most expensive player in the world at that time. He won the Copa del Rey there before returning to Atletico Madrid in 2021, where he became the club’s all-time top scorer. Internationally, Griezmann has played 137 matches for France, scoring 44 goals.
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