Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann is open to leaving the club in the summer in order to win trophies.
In an exclusive interview with French media outlet L’Equipe, Atletico Madrid attacker Antoine Griezmann stated that he could be on the move in the summer as he wants to get his hands on silverware rather than just playing good football.
“Today, if I have to move, it will not be a problem for me. It may be England, which is in fashion, Germany, China or the United States, I’m ready to go,” Griezmann said.
“We finished third in La Liga, it was the objective of the club, but we, the players, want more. Winning titles is what I will look for this summer when deciding on my future.”
Since moving from Real Sociedad in 2014, Griezmann has gone from strength to strength at the Vicente Calderon to become a household name not only in Spain, but also across the footballing globe.
At 26, he is considered to be a future Ballon d’Or contender, and is regarded as one of the finest forwards in the game today. His versatility has helped both his club as well as his national side France – who he guided to the Euro 2016 final last summer.
A player of his calibre certainly deserves to win trophies every season, but due to Barcelona and Real Madrid’s duopoly in the Spanish game, Griezmann’s side Atletico have almost always fallen short, and settled for a consolation third spot.
The Frenchman is still to win a league title with Los Rojiblancos and his only team honour with the Spanish outfit is the Supercopa de Espana – which he lifted in the season he moved to the club.
Manchester United have been hot on the player’s heels for nearly a year, and are understood to be front runners in the race to sign the Frenchman in the summer. Recently, the Atletico star admitted that there is a 60 percent chance that he will be joining the Red Devils.
He also stated that his future could be decided in the next fortnight, and it seems that Jose Mourinho and co. may finally get their hands on the player they have been pursuing for a long time.
Griezmann has a release clause of £85 million, but Atletico are reportedly willing to settle for a fee in the region of £50 million as a down payment, with the remaining amount being paid over the course of the player’s tenure at his new club.
However, the deal could hinge on the outcome of Manchester United’s Europa League final against Ajax later today. After finishing sixth in the league, United’s only way of getting into the Champions League next season is by beating the Dutch side at the Friends Arena in Stockholm.
Griezmann will definitely add a lot of value – and goals – at Manchester United, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic sidelined till January 2018 at the very least. It remains to be seen, though, if the Red Devils manage to secure the services of the player in the summer.
