Griezmann to Orlando confirmed - Frenchman to depart Europe as 8th most expensive player ever

From LaLiga to MLS 

Antoine Griezmann will be playing his football in Major League Soccer next season. On Tuesday, Orlando City SC confirmed thar the France international had agreed a deal to make the move to the United States in July, where he will sign a two-year contract, with an option to extend it by a further year. Despite being 35 years of age, Griezmann still holds a market value of €10 million - which will make him the MLS club's most valuable signing ever.

Grizemann is considered a big fan of the Norther American league and made no secret of his desire to play in MLS at some point in his career. Just last summer, the striker extended his contract with Atlético Madrid ahead of schedule until 2027, but limited playing time this season has led to a change of heart. The left-footed player has only been in the starting line-up in 24% of his club's LaLiga games this season.

"The striker traveled to Orlando, with the club's permission, during the first team's two-day break to finalize his contract with the Florida side," said a club statement on the Atlético website. "Thus, the top scorer in our club's history will embark on a new professional challenge in the MLS next summer after wearing the red and white colors for 10 seasons." Grizemann will reportedly make the move to Orlando on a free transfer.

Two years ago, L'Équipe reported a release clause of €25 million. It is unclear whether this was removed when his contract was extended last year. According to the report, Orlando had high hopes of signing Griezmann during the current season in Europe. Sporting director Ricardo Moreira reportedly visited Spain several times to push the deal forward. Other MLS clubs are also interested in the 2018 World Cup winner, but the Florida club owns the discovery rights, which give them the right of first refusal for a player within the league.

Griezmann departs Europe as one of it's most expensive players

While Griezmann departs Europe without earning a final transfer fee, his legacy as an in-demand star was confirmed long ago. Following a €54m move from Real Sociedad to Atlético in 2014, then a €120m move to Barcelona five years later and then a €10m loan fee and subsequent €22m transfer back to the Spanish capital, Griezmann has demanded no less than €206m in transfer fees over the course of his career. That staggering figure means the French international sits eighth on Transfermarkt's list for the highest accumulative transfer fees ever, just behind Álvaro Morata (€217.2m) and João Félix (€223.1m). Ousmane Dembélé, who has earned €233m in transfer fees during his career, is the only French player to sit above Griezmann in the rankings.