Manchester United have reportedly rejoined the race to sign Antoine Griezmann, who is also a summer target for Barcelona.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Diario Gol, Manchester United are seemingly back in the hunt to sign Antoine Griezmann in the summer transfer window. The Atletico Madrid superstar is now hesitant to join Barcelona, who hold a long-standing interest in securing his services.
Griezmann is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, having been a pivotal figure for club and country for several years. His progress at Atletico Madrid has been truly staggering, with the player’s contribution being superb – 112 goals and 40 assists in 209 appearances.
Griezmann’s performances this past season were eye catching as well, despite talks of him not being in the right state of mind after his move to Manchester United fell through last summer. The Frenchman finished the campaign with 29 goals and 15 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions, which is why it’s not surprising that he remains a highly sought-after figure in the transfer market.
Barcelona have been in pursuit of the 27-year-old pretty much throughout the season, and for a long time it was believed that he would be on his way to Camp Nou. But, the Blaugrana now face competition from Manchester United, who are back in the race to sign Griezmann this summer.
The Red Devils were much improved this past season, but their attack still seems short on quality that could make them a favourite to win the Premier League title. Specifically, Manchester United lack a player who could operate naturally on the right flank, which is where Griezmann could possible be coming in.
The player’s preferred position is playing through the middle, off the main striker, which is where he could be an option for Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho as well. Meanwhile, Griezmann could be in a similar predicament at Barcelona, where Luis Suarez is still the first-choice striker.
Upfront, Lionel Messi is deployed as the support striker, meaning Griezmann could likely be played on the right before he eventually replaces Suarez when he moves on after a few years. But, there are a few complications in Barcelona’s pursuit of the French international, which seems to have put the ball in Manchester United’s court.
The player is having second thoughts about joining Barcelona, with the possibility of staying at Atletico Madrid quite high as well. If he decides to depart from Wanda Metropolitano, Los Rojiblancos would prefer that he joins Manchester United instead of their La Liga rivals.
That Griezmann has a €100 million release clause in his contract takes the decision out of Atletico Madrid’s hands, and it will now be interesting to see where he moves in the summer. What appears certain is that Barcelona aren’t the favourites to sign him, with a move to Manchester United possible as well.
