Ben McAleer
Manchester United News
After a stunning performance on Sunday where he scored, assisted and essentially man-marked Eden Hazard out of the game, Ander Herrera took to press conferences like a fish takes to water. After a disastrous double-yellow in the FA Cup clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Herrera was determined to make amends at the Theatre of Dreams and he did, emphatically.
“In my opinion he [Hazard] has been the best player in the league this year,’ Herrera told NBC (reported by Metro).
‘He’s one of the best in the world. After Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo you have Neymar, Hazard, Griezmann and Paul [Pogba]”.
Herrera added fuel to the raging wildfire with his comments about Griezmann. He has already been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford over the past few months. But, according to sources, the move depends on one key factor – United’s presence in the Champions League next season. Griezmann is said to be open to a move if and only if United qualify for the Champions League next season.
Griezmann started his La Liga career at Real Sociedad where he remained for 5 seasons. His performances gained attention from 2011 when he scored the equalizer in a 2-2 draw against mighty Barcelona. In the following season, his goal in the final league game against Deportivo La Coruna sealed Real Sociedad’s place in the Champions League for the first time since 2003-04. That goal also sentenced Deportivo la Coruna to relegation.
In 2014, Simeone, fresh off an emphatic League season where he saw off both Barcelona and city rivals Real Madrid to lift the title, had a task on his hand to replace Diego Costa who was the talisman for Atletico in 2013-14, as they reached the final of the Champions League. Griezmann was entrusted with the responsibility of filling Costs’s boots. Atletico signed him and in the first 3 seasons at the Calderon, he has scored 59 goals in 105 appearances for the club. He also finished runner-up to Cristiano Ronaldo in the Ballon d’Or last year.
If he is to shift base to Manchester, United would have to break open their bank account and pay close to £85 million to land the Frenchman. This would be their 2nd most expensive transfer, following Paul Pogba’s record-breaking acquisition last summer.
