Bharath Rammr
Antoine Griezmann has been linked with Manchester United for well over six months. The Red Devils are reportedly ready to make the French striker as one of the marquee signings in the summer. Griezmann has already stated his intent to play alongside Paul Pogba much more and the 25-year-old has a great rapport with the world’s most expensive player from their time at the French national team. The Atletico Madrid forward has emerged as one of the best strikers in the world over the last 18 months and he was recently named as one of the runners-up in the Ballon d’Or award.
However, a recent development with regard to the transfer has come about with Manchester United struggling to make it to the top four despite an unbeaten run that stretches beyond 10 games. According to the reports from The Sun, Griezmann’s camp has reportedly made it clear to United that the player would not be joining the Premier League outfit if they miss out on the Champions League next season. The club are sixth in the table, but face intense competition from Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Tottenham for the top four places. One of the other alternatives for United is to win the Europa League and reach the group stages directly, but the competition is only at the last 32 stage.
Griezmann has made only 36 appearances in the Champions League. This competition is relatively new for him, despite being 25 years old. Griezmann has been a big club like Atletico Madrid only in the last couple of years. Yet, his record in this competition is rather good with 13 goals and four assists. At the situation, Griezmann would like to make the most out of his time in this competition. United have not qualified for the Champions League this season, while they are in real danger of missing out on the competition next as term well.
Such an eventuality will also cut the club’s shirt sponsorship deal by as much as £25 million, while also resulting in a loss of TV money and revenue to the tune of £60 million. Recent financial figures show that the club’s debt had risen to £409 million (Daily record), and it is a major cause of concern despite United being one of the richest clubs in the world. Chief Executive Ed Woodward recently claimed that the club’s big spending days on several new players may be over, as the club are looking to limit the number of transfer activity in each window.
Since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, United have spent close to £500 million. The arrival of Griezmann could potentially take this figure to close to £600 million.
