Antoine Griezmann is one of the best players in the world right now and a major reason as to why Atletico Madrid are able to compete with the best in every competition. They aren’t a star-studded squad but they are hard workers.
A big reason why Griezmann has resisted the temptation of a big money move is Diego Simeone. The Argentinian is a master tactician who has drilled his squad with discipline and put them through their paces on a regular basis.
But this could be Simeone ’slast season with Atleti and that could mark the end of Griezmann’s association with the club as well.
So here are 5 clubs that could realistically buy him.
5) Chelsea
Chelsea were one of the first clubs to be the subject of a big money takeover. Russian Billionaire Roman Abramovich has invested a lot in the club, and bought instant success with his mega money signings.
The owner is also known for the ruthless nature of his sacking of managers. But his methods have brought a lot of trophies so nobody’s complaining. Chelsea had a poor season last time out.
They only managed a 10th place finish in the league with Jose Mourinho getting the sack halfway through the season. This time around they have made a much better start but without a win in two, there are still signs of last year’s inconsistencies.
Antoine Griezmann is a player who can change the atmosphere around a club with his mere presence. The French superstar knows where the back of the net is net but he is more than just goals.
There isn’t a hint of doubt he could take Chelsea to the title and could form a brilliant partnership with Eden Hazard. Of course, Chelsea will have to pay out of their noses to get him, and that’s exactly the kind of money Abrahmovic has.
4) Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain, are another club to join the modern mega money takeover bracket. The French giants have won everything domestically in the last 4 years but the only thing missing from their trophy cabinet is the UEFA Champions League.
It’s the tournament the owners want to win, but their current squad is slightly short of the one required to win the coveted trophy. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was their marquee man in many ways for the past four years.
But the now Manchester United striker could not quite steer them to the trophy. PSG are definitely much weaker and despite having recruited a European competition specialist in Unai Emery they are far from the finished article.
Antoine Griezmann had been linked with the club in the past and their interest in him is public knowledge. If there is anything that will bring the Forward to Paris it will be money, because the La Liga is much more challenging league when compared to Ligue 1.
But the attraction of home is always something a player will think about twice. He could be lured to the club if PSG put the money on the table.
3) Real Madrid
A very controversial name on this list but a club that might be daring enough to poach a derby rival’s player. Madrid along with Manchester United are one of biggest names in world football.
Signing big name players is something they invented in the modern game. The famous Galacticos project which was the brainchild of Florentino Perez is a financial stroke of genius even if the ratio of money to trophies is not what fans have come to expect.
The signing of Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo has brought them a lot of major silverware in the past few years and the project is finally starting to pay dividends in silverware terms.
Now Atletico and Real have a massive history and it would be considered treason to cross over to the dark side, but Madrid have done it before and might do it again. In fact, the very first Galactico jumped ship from Barcelona.
A decision Catalan fans went berzerk about, and never thought possible. Now Greizmann doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to commit such a heinous ’crime’ but these days with the money that’s flashed at players anything looks likely to happen.
It won’t be surprising to see him in the white of Madrid soon enough, once Simeone is no longer there to hold the fort.
2) Manchester City
Manchester City are the new Chelsea of the Premier League in a way. In 2008, the noisy neighbours of United got a lot louder after their big money takeover in 2008 by Qatari owners.
Since then they have slowly built an empire. It took a while but now they are a true superpower in Europe and probably the best team in the Premier League right now. Pep Guardiola has got them playing his way and right now they look unstoppable.
Bringing in Antoine Griezmann would make them truly unstoppable. City are maybe still a bit short in terms of squad strength to compete with the Barcelonas and Real Madrids but Griezmann could elevate them to that level.
Guardiola is familiar with Griezmann from his time in Spain and knows the player is a hard worker. He would seamlessly fit into this City side, because of the amount of work he puts in for Atletico Madrid.
City are always ready to break the bank and for Griezmann it makes all the more sense to go big.
1) Manchester United
United already showed their financial might in this transfer window by signing Paul Pogba, a player whose price tag is talked about more than his quality. The club are one of the biggest in the world and their brand allows them to sign anyone they want.
After the three torrential seasons United suffered under Louis van Gaal and David Moyes, Jose Mourinho was able to attract three big names in a single transfer window. The club have also been linked with the player before.
Almost every transfer window Griezmann to United is one of the biggest rumours that swirl around in those three months. But of all the clubs on this list, United are the most capable and the ideal destination for the Frenchman.
Star power seems to be the theme at Old Trafford and Griezmann has plenty of that. If United are to go for him next season, they might have to break the world transfer record once again.
But despite the fee he commands, he brings bags of quality and is probably one of the top 5 players in the world right now. Paying a ridiculous amount of money for him would make complete sense in the long term.
