SER: Griezmann signed Barcelona contract in March

Spanish radio claimed on Thursday night that Antoine Griezmann signed for Barcelona in March — which would mean he had a permanent deal with and was under contract with the top two teams in LaLiga at the same time.

Cadena SER program “El Larguero” broke the story late Thursday, in which host Manu Carreño said Griezmann began to negotiate with Barça in November — just five months after the release of “La Decisión,” in which Griezmann appeared to commit his future to Atlético and signed a fresh five-year contract. In March, Griezmann agreed to and purportedly signed a separate contract with Barça while Atleti played Juventus in the Champions League Round of 16.

Carreño also alleged that documental evidence will emerge that shows the Rojiblanco superstar was in negotiations with the Catalan club in 2018, not six months after he publicly rejected that club in his half-hour documentary.

This all means — if true, of course — that Griezmann was under contract with the azulgrana when he played against them at Camp Nou on April 6. It also means that Atlético could have a really strong case to file tampering charges with FIFA against Barça for tapping up their (now former) player. Atleti considered filing similar charges in 2017, when reports emerged that the league champions had begun to pursue Griezmann aggressively.

It is worth noting that the Lionel Messi-led dressing room appears more or less united in opposition to Griezmann’s incorporation. In addition, Marca ran a story earlier on Thursday which claimed that the World Cup winner is not a priority for president Josep Maria Bartomeu — although that could change on July 1, when the forward’s release clause drops to approximately €120 million. Another Sport story published on Wednesday stated that the player is annoyed at the previously-reported rejection by Barça’s players and he continues to wait for a phone call from the club about his future.

The drama never ends with this guy, does it?