Barcelona Transfer News: Atletico president says there will be 'consequences' if he discovers Griezmann signed a pre-contract agreement with Barca in March

What's the story?

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has warned that there will be "consequences" if he discovers that Barcelona agreed to sign Antoine Griezmann back in March when the Frenchman's release clause was at €200 million (£180 million).

In case you didn't know

In May, Griezmann announced that he would be ending his five-year association with Atletico Madrid having joined the club from Real Sociedad in 2014 for €30 million. At the Wanda Metropolitano, the forward emerged as the most influential figure in the team, netting 133 goals in 256 appearances.

Since the announcement, the France international has been heavily linked with a move to Catalunya, despite having infamously snubbed the Blaugrana last year in a highly-publicized and embarrassing documentary.

The Rojiblancos are looking to secure a massive amount of money for the World Cup winner, especially after they spent a staggering £113 million to bring in Joao Felix from Benfica.

The 28-year-old forward's arrival at Camp Nou is expected to be announced sometime next week after his release clause dropped from €200 million (£180 million) to €120 million (£107 million) on July 1.

However, two-weeks-old comments made by Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil regarding the transfer have resurfaced and could spell trouble for Barcelona. Gil had claimed that Griezmann had already agreed to terms with the Catalan giants in March when his release clause was still €200 million (£180m).

The heart of the matter

Cerezo has suggested that there could be trouble if Barcelona are discovered to have agreed to a pre-contract agreement with Griezmann before the drop in his buy-out fee.

Barcelona warned 'there will be consequences' by Atletico Madrid if they signed pre-contract deal with Antoine Griezmann before his exit clause dropped by £73m https://t.co/jGqTYAhAAY

— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) July 5, 2019

According to the Daily Mail's Pete Jenson, the Atletico chief said, "The truth is I don't know, but if it is as you say and he had already signed then there will be consequences. It does not seem normal to me, but I do not know if he has signed or not or if he is going to Barcelona or not. I suppose in a few days we will find out."

What's next?

It is believed that the new complications that have arisen regarding the buy-out clause could be the reason why the move has not been completed and it has been feared that the transfer will be further dragged because of legal reasons.