Patrick Rees
Manchester United have been handed a big boost in their pursuit of landing Antoine Griezmann as reports from the Spanish news outlets Marca and Mundo Deportivo (h/t Express) claim that the Frenchman’s release clause has dropped down to £92m, soon after the summer transfer window slammed shut.
Manchester United’s desire of landing the Atletico Madrid forward was well documented and he even came close to signing for the Devils, only to be denied by Atletico’s transfer ban. The Ros Rojiblancos were banned from making any new signing this summer after they were found guilty of landing an under-aged player. They later appealed against it, but were rejected in their attempt.
Meanwhile, in the midst of this, they managed to agree to personal terms with Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette – who is now an Arsenal player – and even Lyon’s president Jean-Michel Aulas confirmed the news saying, “Alex has a verbal agreement with a club, Atletico.”
His move to Spain all but confirmed Griezmann’s departure but everything was put down to rest, as Atletico failed in their attempt to lift the transfer ban.
Following all this, Griezmann eventually decided to stay put and signed a massive five-year contract with the club, which Daily Mail says, is worth £235,000-a-week. Reports claim that his new contract saw his release clause getting increased to £184m. However, a move can be on the cards as following the close of the transfer window, as his clause has dropped down to £92m.
The Spanish giants will be allowed to make new signings in the January window and reports are emerging that Chelsea’s want-away star Diego Costa remains their primary target. Should the Brazilian-born return to Madrid, Griezmann’s spot will come under heavy scrutiny as Simeone also has Fernando Torres at his disposal. It now remains to be seen what lies next for the Frenchman as he himself has ruled out the prospect of staying at Atletico for a long time.
“To be honest, I don’t know,” he was quoted by IBTimes. “I’m going to be playing for Atletico next season and after that we’ll see. All I am thinking about now is Atletico Madrid. I think it’s absurd to talk about something that is more than a year away.”
It looks like this saga is going to drag on for many more years to come!
