Why Manchester United should not sign Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann

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Manchester United have been continuously linked with a big money move for Antoine Griezmann ahead of what could be a huge summer at Old Trafford. Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has admitted that he is worried about losing his star striker. There is also interest from Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid. The latest quotes from his current club manager that are reported by Goal come after he was asked if it was possible that the 26-year-old could leave at the end of the season:

“Yes, because there is a termination clause. There is no security. And from now on I do not know what can happen. He would never let me tell him to stay. I did not do it with [Diego] Costa or [Radamel] Falcao.”

These comments will lead to further speculation about the Frenchman as it is clear that Atletico won’t force him to stay. If he wants to leave in the summer, then the Spanish club will do a deal at the right price. Considering Manchester United have funds to burn and are known to be heavily interested in the 26-year-old, it could be that he is the next big name French player to move to Old Trafford.

Where would he fit in?

Although Griezmann is a world class talent capable of breaking into any team in Europe, it is a move that doesn’t make complete sense from Manchester United’s perspective. They already have an exciting attacking line-up, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Anthony Martial, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Wayne Rooney at the club. If Ibrahimovic extends his contract at the end of the season, then there is no obvious place for Griezmann. He would either have to play on the wing or Jose Mourinho would have to find a formation that he could start the Frenchman alongside their current top scorer. The player himself is unlikely to agree to the former, while the latter would require a huge change from Mourinho.

There is no doubting the Atletico man’s quality, but United should be focusing their recruitment elsewhere. If they do manage to do a deal for the French international, it would be further evidence for those claiming that Manchester United are following a similar route to Real Madrid during the Galacticos’ era. They would choose to target names rather than recruiting based on the needs of the team. Considering how competitive the Premier League is at the moment, this wouldn’t be the right move from United.

Should they sign him?

Antoine Griezmann is one of the best players in Europe and if he is available this summer, then a lot of clubs will go in for him. However, it isn’t the right time for Manchester United to bring him to Old Trafford. They are well stocked in attack and given Ibrahimovic is the main man, there isn’t a clear spot for the Frenchman if he was signed. United need to improve their defence to ensure they are strong enough to challenge for major honours. Furthermore, Paul Pogba’s form remains an issue and they need to focus on getting the best out of him, before adding another player costing over £75 million.

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