Chelsea and Manchester United have reportedly joined Manchester City in the race for Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann, who could be sold this summer.
According to a report from SPORT, Chelsea and Manchester United have shown an interest in Antoine Griezmann as Barcelona look to offload the Frenchman in order to balance their books.
Two years after his much-protracted big-money from Atletico Madrid, Griezmann has yet to hit top gear at Barcelona. The 30-year-old endured a difficult debut campaign in Catalonia but did show signs of hitting form towards the backend of the 2020/21 campaign. However, Barcelona’s precarious financial situation has meant that the club are actively looking to get his massive wages off the books this summer.
Indeed, the Blaugrana need to shed as much as €200 million from their wage bill in order to accommodate the contract renewal of Lionel Messi, and Griezmann looks set to become a casualty. The Frenchman, as he stares at an uncertain future at Camp Nou, does not have a shortage of admirers, with Manchester City having already shown an interest in securing his services this summer.
Now, it seems like both Chelsea and Manchester United have also emerged as suitors for the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner. It is no secret that the Blues are in the market for a new, prolific forward in the current transfer window, following Timo Werner’s disappointing debut season, wherein he failed to produce the goods in front of goal.
In addition to that, Olivier Giroud is on his way out of Chelsea while Tammy Abraham is also closing in a transfer to West Ham United. So, there is a need for a new striker at Stamford Bridge, with Erling Haaland emerging as a top target. However, with Borussia Dortmund reluctant to sell, Chelsea seem to be keeping their options open, with Griezmann now emerging as a target.
As for Manchester United, they too could use the services of a world-class forward like Griezmann in their ranks. The imminent arrival of Jadon Sancho will bolster the Red Devils’ attack, but the centre-forward slot remains a concern considering Anthony Martial’s poor return last season and Edinson Cavani’s advancing age.
With Mason Greenwood still growing into his role, adding a quality forward would make sense for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer & co. Harry Kane, to that end, has been identified as a primary target, but Tottenham’s stance could force them to look elsewhere, with Griezmann representing a solid option for Manchester United.
The report adds that Chelsea have been the more active of the clubs in pursuit of Griezmann with both Manchester United and Manchester City yet to make any moves. However, it is also claimed that the 30-year-old would favour a move to former club Atletico Madrid instead, although that is something that Barcelona do not approve of. It now remains to be seen if any of the Premier League bigwigs make a swoop.
