It’s fair to say that very few world class talents in football feel gettable right now. Look at the biggest stars in La Liga; none of them feel like conceivable transfers at this stage, happy as they are with the success that they are enjoying with their Spanish clubs. The likes of Neymar, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale have a feel of contentment surrounding them, happy as they are with their surroundings, their clubs and the status they enjoy in their respective sides.
And even if they did have an inkling to leave their sunny environments, there are few clubs that would have the financial muscle to satisfy their paymasters in order for a deal to be done. Rumours of a deal for Neymar would have required a bid of over £100m when Manchester United’s name was brought into the equation last year, and whilst that turned into an angle for the Brazilian to earn a new contract at the Nou Camp, the figures weren’t exactly unrealistic for a player of his calibre.
With that in mind, there are few top-tier targets that feel like they could be persuaded to switch sides at this stage, and one of them is Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann. The Frenchman has stepped his game up several levels since leaving Real Sociedad for the Vicente Calderon, and rumours of a move to North West England have been bubbling for some time.
Griezmann certainly hasn’t tried to kill them off, either, describing his blossoming friendship with United’s Paul Pogba to L’Equipe, in a quote translated by Sport Witness:
“We get on very well. It is true that Euros has brought us closer together still. Paul is a really nice guy. He is!
“We send messages, Snapchats. He’s really a good friend…When he plays with his club, I try to look at it to see if he had a good game or not.”
Comments like this merely stoke the flames of increasing speculation that United could do a deal for Griezmann. United would be a natural fit for the Frenchman, and despite him signing an improved contract this summer, and suggesting that he would stay at Atleti until manager Diego Simeone wasn’t in charge, United remain one of few clubs who have the financial muscle to persuade the Spanish club to part with their prized asset. As such, this is a story that will surely run and run between now and next summer’s transfer window.
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