In a transfer window like no other, Antoine Griezmann’s Atlético Madrid reunion is yet another example of a star footballer returning to a high-profile former club.
Antoine Griezmann’s return to Atlético Madrid on transfer deadline day via loan completes the hat trick of global football superstars returning to their former clubs on significant deals. He rounds out a list that includes Romelu Lukaku, who reunited with Chelsea after eight years away, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who’s back at Manchester United for the first time since 2009.
That’s a curious number of homecomings from such elite-level players all in the same transfer window.
But with FC Barcelona desperately needing to lower its wage bill and Griezmann earning a reported $36.4 million per year on a contract that runs through 2024, it made more than a little sense for the 30-year-old forward to return for Atlético on loan through the end of the 2021-22 season.
Interestingly, the deal includes a $47.23 million option to buy next summer, and it’s good business for the club — it’s noticeably less than the$59.4 million they paid Real Sociedad for Griezmann’s services seven years ago.
After scoring 20 goals and dishing out 13 assists for Barça in 51 games across all competitions last season, the French international will return to a club where he scored 133 goals over five seasons and keyed a run to the 2016 UEFA Champion League final, a 2018 Europa League title, and a 2018 European SuperCup win over Spanish rivals Real Madrid.
Atlético not only gets Griezmann back to help the club in its La Liga title defense; they can also proclaim to have done some strong financial business — they sold him toBarça for $132 million just two years ago.
That got us thinking: How did Chelsea fare financially in, buying, selling, and rebuying Lukaku? Likewise, how does Man United’s Ronaldo balance sheet look since he was first brought over from Portugal 18 years ago?
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Here’s a quick guide to the business behind this summer’s transfer reunions, with all numbers courtesy of Transfermarkt:
July 2014: Sold by Real Sociedad to Atlético Madrid for $59.4 million
July 2019: Sold byAtlético Madrid to Barcelona for $132 million
Aug. 2021: Loaned by Barcelona to Atletico Madrid with a $47.235 million option to buy
Verdict: If Atlético exercises the option, they will have made $25.365 million on Griezmann
Aug. 2003: Sold by Sporting CP to Manchester United for $20.9 million
July 2009: Sold by Manchester United to Real Madrid for $103.4 million
Aug. 2021: Sold by Juventus to Manchester United for $16.5 million
Verdict: Man United made at least $66 million on Ronaldo (earned an undisclosed training compensation fee when Real Madrid sold him to Juventus in 2018)
Aug. 2011: Sold by Anderlecht to Chelsea for $16.5 million
Sept. 2013: Loaned by Chelsea to Everton: $3.85 million
Aug. 2014: Sold by Chelsea to Everton for $38.9 million
Aug. 2021: Sold by Inter Milan to Chelsea in August 2021: $126.5 million
Verdict: Chelsea lost $87.6 million on Lukaku
You can go home again, folks. And if you’re willing to be patient, you may even get your man for less than you sold him for in the first place.
Don’t weep for Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, though. He may have taken a loss on Lukaku of nearly $88 million, but when you’re estimated to be worth $14.6 billion, you can afford to splurge every now and then.
