Can Manchester United Sign Antoine Griezmann This Summer?
Antoine Griezmann is probably the most sought-after forward in Europe right now. He has already made a name for himself playing for Real Sociedad and Atlético Madrid in La Liga, but he may be on the move this summer.
In an interview with French newspaper L'Équipe, Griezmann said that he's ready to move on and win trophies. Atlético Madrid have won La Liga before in the 2013–2014 season, but everyone knows that there's a Real Madrid-Barcelona duopoly in Spain.
Those two clubs win the title almost every year and the rest of the league just don't have the spending power to compete with the deep pockets of Real Madrid and Barcelona. If Griezmann wants to win, he may as well do it in another league.
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Well, Manchester United happens to be one of his most ardent suitors, and during an appearance on the French television program "Quotidien," Griezmann said there was a "six out of 10" chance he would head to Old Trafford this summer.
United would love to add a player of his caliber to their already formidable squad. However, signing him isn't going to be easy.
ESPN FC has reported that several sources say United have to pay more than half of Griezmann's €100 million buyout clause in a lump sum if they make a bid for the French forward.
"Atletico's insistence that any buyer for Griezmann must pay a figure in the region of £50m (€58m) as a downpayment is at odds with United's traditional business model of paying transfer fees in installments over the course of a player's contract," ESPN FC's Mark Ogden said in his report.
"Sources have told ESPN FC that, while United are long-term admirers of Griezmann, senior figures are reluctant to divert from their usual framework of paying for players and that Atletico's stance could yet prove a considerable obstacle to overcome," he added.
That's quite an obstacle indeed. But United should remain an attractive landing spot for Griezmann since they just won the Europa League and earned a spot for next season's Champion League.
