The 34-year-old, now in his tenth season across two spells with Los Rojiblancos, has said he still feels "important" and remains "very happy" at the RiyadhAir Metropolitano, even though Diego Simeone's side have rotated him more often this season.

Griezmann, who overtook Luis Aragones in 2023 to become Atletico's all-time leading scorer, has admitted he still feels there is plenty more to achieve. Speaking to Diario AS, he explained why he committed his future earlier than required, despite already being tied to the club until the end of the current campaign.

"I want more. I have a lot of minutes left to play, a lot of legs and head to play and be someone important at the club," he said. "I know I have to prove it to everyone and I want to be even more important. And then, in many years, we will see about the name of legend."

The French forward has been the subject of constant speculation, especially with MLS sides circling in the last 12 months. LAFC pushed hardest in the summer, but Atletico made it clear they wanted him to stay for the 2025-26 season. Griezmann has said he is not surprised by the noise around his future.

"In the end they always talked about me. From the day I arrived until the day I leave, that will be the case," he said. "Everyone knows that the MLS is my dream, my goal, but I have a contract here. I want to keep renewing and continue being important."

Griezmann also revealed the role he played behind the scenes when Atletico completed the high-profile signing of Julian Alvarez from Manchester City in the summer of 2024. His personal messages, he said, helped convince the Argentine striker to choose Simeone's project.

"I knew the club were doing everything possible to bring him in, and I could send him a message of ten or twenty sentences to help," Griezmann said. "I told him about all the good things Atletico have, about Cholo and about his teammates. I wrote to Julian four or five times on Instagram to come, and in the end, with everyone insisting, he joined us."

Griezmann's new deal and his continued influence underline his commitment to extending his Atletico story well beyond a decade, while still leaving the door open for a future move to the United States.

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