Chelsea are expected to qualify for the Champions League if they are to have any chance of winning the race to sign Atletico Madrid forward Amtoine Griezmann.
According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea are lining up a whopping £85 million bid to trigger the release clause of Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann. However, the player will consider a move to Stamford Bridge only if the Blues qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season.
Chelsea endured a tumultuous 2015-16 campaign, finishing 10th in the Premier League and ending the the season without any silverware. Jose Mourinho was unceremoniously sacked halfway through the season as he allegedly had a negative influence over the players on and off the pitch.
Guus Hiddink was hired as an interim manager to replace the outgoing Portuguese at the helm. The Dutchman did a fairly decent job in guiding the Londoners to a relatively respectable position at the end of the season.
Antonio Conte’s arrival in the summer has been met with a positive response by the players. The Blues look like a more cohesive unit and despite few minor blips every now and then, are seemingly headed in the right direction.
The addition of Griezmann will certainly bolster the Chelsea attack and give Conte a realistic chance of achieving continental glory. The Italian has often deployed a formation comprising of two front men, and the Atletico Madrid striker could form a phenomenal attack with Diego Costa.
The Frenchman is also extremely versatile and can be played in a number of attacking positions. He can play as a wing forward in a 4-3-3 or a 3-4-3 or can be deployed as a number 10 in a 3-5-2 or a 4-2-3-1.
His work ethic is admirable and he also has a relatively clean bill of health. While an asking price of £85 million is extremely high, the attacker is still only 25 and arguably has his best days ahead if him. The Chelsea boss can therefore expect him to fire on a regular basis for at least the next five years.