Transfer rumors: Manchester United determined to sign Antoine Griezmann

Jose Mourinho remains determined to sign Atletico Madrid superstar Antoine Griezmann after missing out on the player this summer.

If you’re an Atletico Madrid fan, look away. Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho reportedly remains determined to sign Antoine Griezmann after missing out on the player this summer.

Griezmann has a release clause of £88 million, which, after this summer, doesn’t seem like an unreasonable fee for a player of Griezmann’s caliber.

The chances Mourinho and United grab Griezmann increased drastically with the news Atletico signed Diego Costa. It remains unclear how Diego Simeone will use Costa come January, but there could be increased motivation to sell Griezmann. They could use the funds to build other aspects of their team.

Adding Costa gives Atletico that extra cushion in the striking department, but it will no doubt hurt to see their attacking talisman leave. He’s only 26 and has a contract that locks him in at Atletico until 2022, but Atletico know their place in the pecking order of European soccer and have become accustomed to coping with the loss of their best players, including Costa back in 2014.

It’s not hard to see why United are interested in Griezmann. They’ve gotten their primary goalscoring number 9 in Romelu Lukaku, but Griezmann could occupy more of a playmaking role as a link between Lukaku and the rest of the midfield, while also scoring his fair share of goals. It would give Mourinho that punch up top he seems to want.

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Playing two strikers together isn’t something Mourinho has typically done, but Griezmann’s ability to drop deeper and get involved in link up play suggests he would work well with the Belgian. It’s unlikely United will be able to sign Griezmann until next summer, but if the rumors are true, United fans should be excited about their attack next season.