French forward Antoine Griezmann, who plays for Atlético Madrid and is a retired player from the French national team, is close to signing with the Orlando City Soccer Club in the North American MLS Championship for a transfer this summer, a source close to the negotiations told AFP on Sunday.
Griezmann has received permission from Atlético Madrid to travel to Florida during the international break to finalize a transfer agreement this summer, the source said, confirming reports from several media outlets.
The 2018 World Cup champion has been in talks with the Florida club for several weeks. The club holds the “discovery rights” of the player, a mechanism in MLS that gives a team priority for a transfer.
At the start of the month, Atlético Madrid had initially ruled out Griezmann leaving mid-season during the American transfer window, which is open until March 26.
Griezmann, who turned 35 on Saturday, the all-time leading scorer for Atlético (211 goals), is expected to finally join the MLS this summer, a move that has been rumored for several years.
The former vice-captain of the French national team (137 caps, 44 goals) has expressed his interest in the United States and its professional sports leagues, particularly the NBA.
Although no longer a definite starter for Atlético Madrid, Griezmann has already scored 13 goals this season. Last year, he extended his contract with the Madrid club until June 2027.
Griezmann still has the opportunity to compete for several trophies with Atlético this season. He will play in the Copa del Rey final on April 18 against Real Sociedad, his former club, following the Champions League quarter-finals against FC Barcelona on April 8 and 15, a team he also played for.
A key player in Atlético’s success in the Europa League in 2018, Griezmann has yet to win a major title with Atlético, falling short in the Champions League final in 2016 and finishing second in La Liga in 2018 and 2019.
Atlético currently sits in 4th place in the Spanish Championship after 29 matches, 16 points behind league leaders FC Barcelona.
Orlando has only won one match and suffered four defeats since the start of the MLS season in February.
