Manchester United round-up: Contract offer for Griezmann; Jose Mourinho hits out at summer target; Adnan Januzaj for sale

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Manchester United could face a major setback in their pursuit of Antoine Griezmann as the Mirror claim that Atlético Madrid have offered him a new contract in an attempt to persuade him to stay with them in the Spanish capital. It’s believed that the offer would see his release clause rise from £85 million to £130 million, which could make any deal taking him to Old Trafford even more difficult.

The Frenchman may not sign a new contract if he does want to move to England as has been rumoured, but the offer to stay may prove tempting if United fail to qualify for the Champions League next season, which could be a real deal breaker in deciding his future.

He may face one difficulty if he does make the move though as he could displace young local lad Marcus Rashford, who Jose Mourinho praised as he subtly criticised summer target Renato Sanches as he told the Manchester Evening News:

“We want the young boys to play and to perform. At the same time, the best teams want to win and it is difficult to win with the learning curve of the young boys. You go to other clubs where young players are being developed… There is a Portuguese kid, Renato Sanches, who is a European champion. But he doesn’t play in Bayern Munich… Will he play in the Champions League quarter-finals? I have my doubts… I arrived late, I signed in May, we started talking a week before, but completely out of the process. If I had arrived earlier, I’d fight for him.”

The teenager won the European Championships with Portugal in the summer after shooting to fame with Benfica last season before he chose a big money move to Bayern Munich instead of heading to Old Trafford just after his victorious month in France at the Euros.

One youngster who has failed to live up to expectations at the club is Adnan Januzaj as the Belgian continues to fail to impress whilst on loan at Sunderland, and now the Telegraph claim that United are prepared to cash in on him and could sell him when he returns from his loan spell at the Stadium of Light in the summer.

Januzaj has failed to convince his former boss David Moyes during his loan spell this season and it remains to be seen who would look to bring the youngster in to their club in the summer, which may make it easier said than done to sell the winger.

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