Manchester United and Antoine Griezmann has been a thing for a while now. That the Frenchman is one of the world’s best footballers, marketable, very good friends with Paul Pogba, and almost certainly a closet Man United nut has led to the assumption he’s likely to end up at the club.
Griezmann would be a Galactico to satisfy Ed Woodward and a chase which wouldn’t see Manchester United end up with egg on their faces.
The desperate pursuit of Sergio Ramos will have taught Woodward a lesson. Even the defender’s mother was filmed on camera scoffing at the idea, but Manchester United ploughed ahead in perhaps the greatest example that’s ever been seen of a player using a club to get himself a better contract.
With Atletico it would be easy, pay €100m and take your man. And Griezmann to Manchester United isn’t ever going to fall down on personal terms.
Griezmann, United fan? https://t.co/TDs718UyJL #MUFC
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) November 26, 2016
Given all of this, there’s going to be lots of claims. France’s Yahoo this week said outline personal terms had been agreed, which may well be a punt based on all the above.
In the developing saga there are also going to be naysayers, those trying to throw the cat among the pigeons, and it’s no surprise Marca are happy to do that job.
Marca, in their Friday edition, claim Jose Mourinho hasn’t asked Manchester United to sign the player. He likes him, thinks Griezmann is a good forward, but has doubts over how the Frenchman would adapt to the system.
Regardless, Marca point out that Griezmann would be a commercial dream, which is where Woodward would come in, and buying the player would likely be a club level decision rather than down to Mourinho.
The Portuguese manager is said to be aware that if so much is spent on Griezmann it won’t leave enough for his ‘other plans’.
It’s interesting, whether true or not, and if we’re all going to climb onboard the Griezmann to Manchester United train until the summer it’ll be nice to have a little detour every now and again.
