How Manchester United Could Hijack Antoine Griezmann Deal From Barcelona
Reuters / Wolfgang Rattay
While the focus at Manchester United seems to have shifted from making marquee signings to bolster their squad for long-term improvement, their spending power makes it hard to dismiss marquee links.
As of such, even though rumors are pointing towards the likes Sean Longstaff, John McGinn, and players similar to Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the Red Devils may be plotting for a bigger name too.
As per the Sun, Manchester United are looking to hijack Barcelona’s attempt to sign Antoine Griezmann.
In shocking fashion, the French forward had reportedly agreed to terms with Barcelona after being adamant that he wished to leave Atletico Madrid. Most claims indicated that the Catalan giants were willing to activate the player’s £108 million release clause.
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However, the report claims that United have reached out to Griezmann and told him that the Barca deal will fall out if they reach an agreement to bring back Neymar from PSG.
The Brazilian has been linked with a return to his old chomping grounds after problems in Paris and it has been indicated that a mega-deal could be on the cards if all parties negotiate as required.
As of such, Griezmann seems to have been given the impression that he is Barcelona’s no.2 or fall-back option in the event that the Neymar deal doesn’t work as expected.
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This certainly indicates that United are eager for the World Cup winner’s signature and are trying to capitalize on the fact that the player won’t continue at Madrid at any cost.
Paul Pogba’s possible departure this summer will mean that they will be in desperate need for a big-name face, more for commercial purposes than anything else.
It is easy to see how Griezmann can prove to be this replacement although, at 28 years of age and an assuredly massive wage and transfer fee, this saga doesn’t align well with the club’s long-term plans.