Diego Simeone has opened up on his plans for Atletico Madrid’s ageing stars including key forward Antoine Griezmann.
Griezmann is set to stay in Madrid over the summer, despite previous speculation on his future in the Spanish capital, with both sides consistently expressing their desire to continue the bond.
The former France international is out of contract at the end of 2025/26, and he is undecided on a renewal, but with his current form taking a hit – there has been increased talk of him accepting an exit to MLS.
Griezmann has expressed a desire to play in the USA before he retires, but that could be put on hold, with the club still open to extending his deal until 2027 if he recovers his best level.
That scenario would include a wage cut for the 34-year-old, but Diego Simeone is rumoured to have reached out the club’s hierarchy to request an effort is made to keep Griezmann.
Simeone is confident on Griezmann’s ability to still impact games at the sharp end of the season, but he admitted things will have to change for the veteran forward – alongside other players aged 30+ – including captain Koke.
“It’s normal [to play less] as you start to get older and lose the rhythm of the game, the speed or the quality or the weight you normally had in the team,” as per reports from Relevo.
“As coaches, we have to live in the present and teams do too. These players remain part of the hierarchy and with quality that’s not lost.
“There are ways to continue helping the team from whatever position they have in the squad.
“I had to go through it as a player. You almost always don’t want understand it at the time, a player wants to play, whether he’s 36, 35, 28 or 16!”
Atletico Madrid head to Las Palmas tomorrow night, with a three-point gap to Real Madrid in second place, and their title hopes are not fully extinguished.
