Ending as the 2016 Euros top goalscorer and best player, Antoine Griezmann showed the world his abilities in front of goal on one of the biggest stages (after a tactical tweak from Didier Deschamps).
The forward, who has excelled at putting the ball in the back of the net for Atlético Madrid over the past couple of seasons, made many headlines, especially in the transfer market.
Such a talented player was always going to attract attention, and one of the La Liga club’s biggest challenges this summer was to keep their Frenchman.
According to L’Equipe, two clubs were serious about signing Griezmann: Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
The Ligue 1 champions were apparently the more vocal about their interest, but a prospect of playing in a league where he failed to breakthrough (at Lyon) didn’t really appeal to him.
As for Chelsea, they apparently made an approach before the Euros, but the player failed to reply to both clubs, convinced staying at Atlético Madrid, at a club challenging for titles and where he is quickly becoming the main man, was best for his career.
In turn, Diego Simeone repaid his player by asking his board to offer him a new contract, which he signed on the 23rd of June.
L’Equipe do say he might have paid attention had Real Madrid or Barcelona come knocking, but neither came forward.
That was the end of that, at least until next summer.
