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What's the story?
According to reports from English media outlet, Independent, Manchester United's summer transfer target Antoine Griezmann will move to Barcelona next season. The Frenchman was a prime target for the Red Devils last transfer window, but couldn't get a deal a done due to Atletico Madrid's transfer ban.
Independent claims that Manchester United are not much concerned about Griezmann moving to the Camp Nou as they are prepared to look at other potential targets. If the media outlet is to be believed, some Atletico players are also sure that their star man will be joining their La Liga rivals.
In case you didn't know...
Griezmann was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford last summer but a move did not materialise as a result of Los Colchoneros being handed a transfer ban, which prevented them from signing new players. The Diego Simeone-managed side were not willing to sell their star man in a situation where a suitable replacement could not be signed.
The former Real Sociedad player became Atletico's highest paid star after he signed a new five-year contract with Atletico in June. According to the club president, Griezmann has a release clause of £100 million.
Atletico's league rivals Barcelona lost their Brazilian forward Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record deal last summer and are on the lookout for a replacement since. The Catalan club could be finally getting Griezmann to fill the void left by Neymar.
Heart of the matter
Despite buying Borussia Dortmund player Ousmane Dembele for a whopping €100 million, Barcelona still believe that they have not properly replaced Neymar. Griezmann has been one of the best players in La Liga since joining Atletico in 2014 and he could be a top addition to the Ernesto Valverde-managed side.
Manchester United, on the other hand, could be left disappointed as the Red Devils are long-term admirers of the 26-year-old. However, the English team are ready to move on from Griemann and look elsewhere according to the reports.
Video: Griezmann's highlights
Author's take
Neymar's departure and Luis Suarez's lack of form will force Barcelona to dive into the transfer market to find a new forward next summer. Griezmann, on the other hand, has been linked with a move away from Atletico for some time now and if an offer from Barcelona arises the Frenchman would find it difficult to reject it.
The prospect of Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann playing together is really intriguing and it will be exciting to see the two stars light up the football world.
