Manchester United will not attempt to sign Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann in the summer.
According to Simon Stone of the BBC, Manchester United have cooled off their interest in Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann after a year long pursuit trying to convince the Frenchman to move to Old Trafford.
The 26-year-old was all but set to move to United in the summer, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Atletico’s summer transfer ban, meaning they will not be able to sign or register any player until January next year.
This indirectly affected United’s cause to sign the French forward, as Atletico now are not eligible to replace him should he leave the club. Los Rojiblancos have two first-team forwards in Kevin Gameiro and Fernando Torres, but both are not up to Griezmann’s level.
It seemed that Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette was on his way to Atletico, potentially to fill in the void of Griezmann’s imminent departure, but the move will have to be put on the back seat for the current transfer window.
Lacazette went on record to state that he was considering his options, and Atletico Madrid appeared to be the “dream club” he wanted to move to. However, he will may to look for other options, or swallow his pride and stay put at Lyon.
While there is a still a chance for Griezmann to leave the club, it appears to be extremely bleak. The player knows that they cannot replace him, and will probably stay out for at least another season.
This news comes as a huge blow for Manchester United, who were considering to trigger his release clause of £87 million. His compatriot Paul Pogba too, was tasked to convince him to join, and the former Juve midfielder will undoubtedly be frustrated at the club’s failure to sign him.
United have now understood to turn their focus to an out and out striker as they realised they have a number of viable candidates for the number 10 role, but lack an experienced striker, after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s ACL injury.
The Swede has shown quick signs of recovery, but it is still uncertain as to whether he will sign an extension. His one-year contract at the club runs out on the 30th of this month, and Jose Mourinho would have to begin negotiations immediately if he is intent on keeping hold of him.
Names such as Romelu Lukaku, Alvaro Morata and Andrea Belotti have all been thrown into the picture. The United boss will certainly be considering one of the three names if he has decided on letting go of Ibrahimovic.
