Antoine Griezmann has finally admitted that he is seriously considering the possibility of a move to Manchester United. The French superstar has been linked with a move to Old Trafford throughout the season. However, it is only in the last few days that the talk has intensified with Griezmann admitting in an interview that he has a 6/10 chance of joining the Red Devils. The 26-year-old has had a brilliant campaign with Atletico Madrid, scoring 26 goals in 53 appearances for the club in all competitions. He also gave 12 assists along the way.
Talking to French outlet L’Equipe, Griezmann said;
“Today, if I have to move it will be no problem,” he said. “I’m ready to go.”
“I want to win titles,” added Griezmann. “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. I think I will decide [on my future] in the next two weeks,” he said.
When quizzed about the possibilities of joining United, the 26-year said;
“Possible, possible.” Asked to give the chances on a scale of one to 10, Griezmann added “six”.
Atletico’s campaign has been a hit and a miss, with the club qualifying for the Champions League without much sweat, but ending the campaign without any trophies. Griezmann’s possible move to United has been discussed throughout the campaign. It is believed that midfielder Paul Pogba’s decision to join United in the summer played a key role. After signing up with United, Pogba went on to play with the French national team at the Euro 2016. He shares a great friendship with Griezmann and the duo is keen to become more than just international teammates.
Antoine Griezmann à Manchester ? « Possible » répond l’intéressé, qui estime ses chances d’y jouer l’an prochain à 6 sur 10. #Quotidien pic.twitter.com/a6XuihJWVG
— Quotidien (@Qofficiel) May 22, 2017
Rumours about Manchester United activating the £86million release clause in the player’s contract were quite high in the middle of the campaign. But the player’s performance towards the end of the season has diminished those rumours. After having scored almost a goal per game in the middle of the campaign, the 26-year-old only managed to score just 2 goals in his last 10 games across all competitions. This poor form was a major factor behind Atletico being unable to reach the Champions League final.
Incredibly, the £86 million release clause was inserted into the contract that was signed less than a year ago. In the last few weeks, manager Diego Simeone has been sceptical about retaining players like Griezmann.
It is reported that Griezmann is keen on finding United’s fate in the Champions League next season before making a decision on his future. The Red Devils take on Ajax in the final of the Europa League later tonight. This game is the only way United can reach the group stages of the competition, as we could only manage a 6th place finish in Jose Mourinho’s first campaign at the club.
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney expected to depart the club in the summer, United have made the signing a top centre-forward as their priority.
