Antoine Griezmann announces he is staying at Atletico Madrid

Antoine Griezmann has announced that he will remain at Atletico Madrid

Antoine Griezmann has announced he will stay at Atletico Madrid on a television documentary called ‘La Decision’ ending months of speculation linking him to Barcelona.

The forward, 27, said he wanted to clarify his future before France’s World Cup opener against Australia on Saturday.

Griezmann joined Atletico from Real Sociedad in 2014 and has scored 112 goals in all competitions for the club.

“I have decided to stay,” he said at the end of the Spanish programme.

In May, Atletico said they were “fed up” with Barcelona over their pursuit of the player, after president Josep Maria Bartomeu said he met with Griezmann’s agent earlier this season.

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Atletico reported Barcelona to Fifa over an alleged illegal approach for the Frenchman in December.

Griezmann, who is under contract until 2022, tweeted “my fans, my team, my home” after the decision.

His announcement copied NBA star LeBron James’ method of announcing his move from Cleveland to Miami in 2010, also on a television show called The Decision.

Last summer, he extended his contract by a year and agreed to stay with the club despite a transfer ban, after saying there was a “6/10” chance he could move to Manchester United.

On Tuesday, Atletico said they had reached a “preliminary agreement” to sign Monaco winger Thomas Lemar.